Wimbledon 2014: Day 6 Schedule, Matchup Predictions for London Bracket
The opening rounds of the 2014 Wimbledon tournament have been strong, but there are still more incredible results to be decided as these opening rounds at the All England Club come to a close.
Day 6 in London represents the penultimate day of the opening matches. The previous year's installment of Wimbledon featured multiple upsets. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams all suffered shocking defeats in 2013. This year, David Ferrer is really the only notable name to bow out early.
The field for both the men and women is stacked heading into play on Saturday. With several marquee matchups on the schedule, you'd be foolish to miss out.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Day 6 Viewing Info
Wimbledon 2014 can be seen online at WatchESPN.com.
| Sat., June 28 | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Day 6 Schedule
*For the full schedule, check out Wimbledon.com.
| Mikhail Kukushkin | vs. | Rafael Nadal | Centre Court | Nadal |
| Santiago Giraldo | vs. | Roger Federer | Centre Court | Federer |
| Stan Wawrinka | vs. | Denis Istomin | No. 1 Court | Wawrinka |
| Feliciano Lopez | vs. | John Isner | No. 3 Court | Isner |
| Alison Riske | vs. | Maria Sharapova | Centre Court | Sharapova |
| Serena Williams | vs. | Alize Cornet | No. 1 Court | Williams |
| Simona Halep | vs. | Belinda Bencic | No. 2 Court | Halep |
Matches to Watch
Men's: Mikhail Kukushkin vs. Rafael Nadal
Nadal is out for revenge after an exit in Round 1 last year, and he's done quite well on the grass surface of the All England Club thus far. Generally known for his prowess on clay, Nadal has seen success at Wimbledon before.
In fact, he won both the French Open at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010. Will 2014 yield the same sweep?
Nadal told the Associated Press he thinks it's possible, via Kamakshi Tandon of Tennis.com:
"If we are thinking about our era, I don't see a big difference of winning Roland Garros, and Wimbledon, because if you're in the final, you really make the same adjustment. I was able to do that five times. Djokovic was able to play the final in Roland Garros, or semifinals, and then win here. So that match will not make a difference.
"
The next man standing in his way of a win at Wimbledon is Mikhail Kukushkin. This is the farthest the Kazakh has ever made it in this tournament, but that shouldn't play against him. He has looked great so far, winning in straight sets in each of the first two rounds.
That said, Kukushkin doesn't really have a shot that sets him apart. Without a killer shot, he'll likely struggle against Nadal. The Spaniard works harder than almost anyone else in the sport, and he'll likely out-hustle the Kazakh in this bout.
Kukushkin has never won more than three games in a set against Nadal, who owns a 2-0 record in their head-to-head career.
Chalk this one up as another win for Nadal.
Women's: Serena Williams vs. Alize Cornet
This match won't be an easy one for Williams, as Alize Cornet handed her a loss at the 2014 Dubai Open. Williams told BBC Sport that she was "embarrassed" following the loss:
"I'm a bit embarrassed.
I don't think I have made that many errors in a match in three, maybe four years. Out of 10, I was like a minus 283. Maybe I can go to the amateurs.
"
Williams has no reason to be embarrassed during this tournament, however, as tennis journalist Chris Goldsmith pointed out that she has been incredible:
Cornet, the 25th seed, is fresh off a win over Petra Cetkovska, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Despite losing the second set, the Frenchwoman looked strong throughout.
While Williams has looked strong, it will be fun to see if her loss to Cornet earlier this year impacts the way she plays. If she's overly aggressive, then Cornet will certainly take advantage and earn some easy points.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
