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Wimbledon is heating up as the second week approaches, with popular Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime taking on Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokin. The resurgent Hubert Hurkacz will face veteran Jan-Lennard Struff.
(3) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (22) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
It’s taken Auger-Aliassime a long time to get his head around the grass, but it looks like he’s finally here. He’s reached the fourth round of Wimbledon for only the second time in his career and looks like a week two player. Auger-Aliassime beat Michael Zheng in straight sets on Friday and hit 40 aces in his first three matches. He is in excellent form in the second week after his first Roland Garros quarter-final last month. Davidovich Fokina is moving along a different path. He finally won his first ATP title in Mallorca after five runner-up finishes and has been in good form ever since, extending that streak to seven matches on grass with a clear win over Marton Fucsovics in the third round.
Auger-Aliassime has a 4-1 head-to-head advantage, but the two have never played on grass and in their last meeting at the 2025 Australian Open, Davidovich Fokina erased a two-set deficit – so history isn’t a lock here. However, Auger-Aliassime’s serve is a more important swing factor on this surface, and Davidovich Fokina’s game relies more on grinding from the baseline than dictating tempo – which is a more difficult way to win a best-of-three game on grass. I like that Auger-Aliassime fought his way through a testy four-setter.
Cheryl’s choice: Auger-Aliassime in four
Ricky Peake: Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round
Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Hubert Hurkacz
Both players are already ahead of expectations just by being in the round of 16. Struff, 36, is reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career – and he did it the hard way, coming from behind in every set and beating Daniil Medvedev in three tiebreaks. Hurkacz, unseeded 96, dropped the first set to Tommy Paul and then turned it around after 20 aces and 45 winners. This is his best result since 2023 and perhaps reminiscent of the run that took him to the semi-finals here in 2021.
The head-to-head score is 2-2 and their matches are typically tight regardless of the surface, with many being decided by tiebreakers. Both players have worked hard on their serves throughout the two weeks, and Hurkacz’s serve has historically been a stronger weapon on grass, with a semifinal record at this tournament that Struff does not have. But Struff’s comeback has been sharper this week and he has already proven twice that he can find another gear in the fifth set. This one might well have gone the distance if Hurkacz’s weapon had carried him indoors.
Cheryl’s pick: Hurkacz in the fifth round
Ricky’s Peak: Struff at 5