Wimbledon 2012: 10 Men's First-Round Matches to Watch

The draw for the 2012 Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship is out, and this year's edition is full of intrigue from the first round onward. Several former top-five players find themselves paired with today's elite, while many up-and-comers face difficult roads from the get-go as well.

Below, in no particular order, are 10 matches worth keeping an eye on during the Championship's first few days.

1. Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero

The defending champion remains the top player most worth tracking during the opening rounds, especially given his early-round heroics at Roland Garros. It will be interesting to see how Novak reacts to having his name on the trophy and a target on his back at the All-England Club.

Ferrero is far from an easy out either. The former French Open champion current sits at No. 38 in the world and has performed well at Wimbledon in the past. He lacks the firepower to compete with Djokovic's best, but his consistency and intelligence will become an asset if the World No. 1 is off his game.

Prediction: Djokovic in four.

2. Tomas Berdych (6) vs. Ernests Gulbis

Berdych has solidified himself as a top-10 player by improving the consistency of his Grand Slam performances, but the 2010 runner-up remains prone to early-round dogfights. If he can get past the enigmatic Gulbis, the road to a quarterfinal matchup with Djokovic is somewhat clear.

The 23 year-old Gulbis remains extremely talented, but the results have not been there of late. A big-ticket matchup in the first round may inspire a return to his early 2011 form, but he also may have no answer if Berdych gets off to a fast start.

Prediction: Berdych in three

3. Nicolas Mahut vs. Paolo Lorenzi

This match makes the list for one reason and one reason alone: If Mahut defeats Lorenzi and John Isner advances past Alejandro Falla, the two players will meet in the second round and relive last year's epic match. Both are first-round favorites, so let's hope neither gets caught looking ahead.

Lorenzi is the foil here, but his story is worth noting as well. The 30 year-old Italian veteran has played his way into the field primarily through strong performance in Challenger events.

Prediction: Mahut in four

4. Michael Youzhny (26) vs. Donald Young

This one is for the slew of American tennis fans who are without many hopefuls. While Youzhny remains a strong player, his Grand Slam performance has slipped over the past few years.

Enter Young, who is only 22 years old and still has that big serve. The former prodigy is starting to put his game together, and a win over the Russian would be a big step forward.

Prediction: Young in five

5. Janko Tipsarevic (8) vs. David Nalbandian

Tipsarevic has managed to become a top-10 player without much of any Grand Slam success, having only made it as far as the quarterfinals once. His performance at Wimbledon does not stand out either, as he has only won one match over the past three years.

Nalbandian is never a good first-round opponent, given his history of Grand Slam success and his excellent all-around game when healthy. Tipsarevic will be feeling the pressure from the first point, and history says he may not respond well.

Prediction: Nalbandian in four

6. Kevin Anderson (32) vs. Gregor Dimitrov

Anderson is one of many top servers in Andy Murray's section of the draw. Though he has historically performed better on hard courts than grass, he has beaten Murray before and, along with Milos Raonic, remains a name to watch in this section of the draw.

He will do well to get past Dimitrov, however. He has put together a solid season and beat Anderson at Queen's Club two weeks ago. Anderson will have little margin for error in this match.

Prediction: Anderson in four

7. Andy Murray (4) vs. Nicolay Davydenko

Murray's bracket is particularly challenging, with potential early-round matches against Ivo Karlovic, Anderson, as well as either Raonic or Marin Cilic, looming following his first-round date with Davydenko. His return game will certainly have to be in top form.

While Davydenko's prime has passed him, he remains a gritty player. Murray cannot get caught looking ahead.

Prediction: Murray in three

8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (5) vs. Lleyton Hewitt

Tsonga remains one of the greatest threats to the top four, and his power game has played well at Wimbledon in the past. He has all the tools to give Rafa Nadal a run for his money in the quarter-finals.

There are better first-round draws than Hewitt, though. While he is not currently at the top of his game he remains a Wimbledon champion and always seems to play well here. This is a bad draw for him, but Hewitt will always compete.

Prediction: Tsonga in four

9. Bernard Tomic (20) vs. David Goffin

Enough with the seasoned veterans, onto the young bucks for a moment. The 19-year-old Tomic has soared up the rankings primarily as a result of a few good Grand Slam performances, including a quarterfinal appearance at the All-England Club last year.

The 21-year-old Goffin is coming off a big performance of his own as well, after making it to the fourth round at Roland Garros in his first ever Grand Slam appearance. This will be the Belgian's first match in the Wimbledon main draw.

Prediction: Tomic in five

10. Philipp Kohlschreiber (27) vs. Tommy Haas

Kohlschreiber is the seed in this matchup of dangerous Germans, but he may not be the favorite. That said, the steady German sports a solid record in the run-up to this event, defeating Rafa Nadal at Halle two weeks ago en route to a semifinal appearance. If Kohlschreiber can get past Haas, a like rematch awaits in the third round.

That is no sure thing, of course. Haas participated in that same Halle tune-up, defeating Berdych, Kohlschreiber and Roger Federer in succession to capture the title. It would seem the talented veteran is not a player you want to find in your draw right now.

Prediction: Haas in four