Wimbledon 2017: Wednesday Schedule and Predictions for London Bracket

Centre Court will be abuzz with excitement on Wednesday when defending Wimbledon champion Andy Murray takes on the enigmatic Dustin Brown in Round 2. 

Murray was efficient in his opening outing, getting the better of Alexander Bublik in straight sets despite suffering with a hip problem. The win set up an intriguing clash with the German, who is among the most entertaining players on the circuit.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, will be seeking to build momentum in a potentially tricky match against Donald Young. In the women's draw, second seed Simona Halep and home hope Johanna Konta will be the star attractions.

Read on for the standout matches from Wednesday's bracket and a closer examination of how some of the big names will fare in their respective matches.

Selected Wednesday Fixtures

Men's Draw

(1) Andy Murray vs. Dustin Brown

(4) Rafael Nadal vs. Donald Young

(7) Marin Cilic vs. Florian Mayer

(9) Kei Nishikori vs. Serhiy Stakhovsky

(12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Simone Bolelli

Women's Draw

(2) Simona Halep vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia

(4) Elina Svitolina vs. Francesca Schiavone

(6) Johanna Konta vs. Donna Vekic

(8) Dominika Cibulkova vs. Jennifer Brady

(10) Venus Williams vs. Wang Qiang

For the competition fixtures in full visit the Wimbledon website

Wednesday Preview

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Although Murray didn't look entirely comfortable out on Centre Court on Monday for his opener, fans will be encouraged that he came through against Bublik with relative ease.

Having played just one competitive match on grass in 2017 prior to his Round 1 showdown, there was always going to be some rustiness to shake off. But there was a sense the top seed was playing a little within himself with some bigger challenges in mind.

Brown is potentially one of those, and in the buildup to this match there will be plenty of talk of his memorable second-round win over Nadal in 2015. BBC Sport offered an insight into his unique style:

If the German is allowed to build confidence early in the match he has the potential to cause problems with his explosiveness, especially if Murray isn't at full fitness quite yet.

But of all the players in the draw, the champion is arguably the most equipped to sap the impetus from Brown's play and exert himself on the contest. In the end, he'll come through in straight sets again.

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Nadal has his own challenge to contend with, although he was imperious in a routine win over John Millman in Round 1. After clinching his 10th French Open title at Roland Garros recently, the Spaniard has his swagger back again.

Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times was impressed with the way in which Nadal got his quest for a third Wimbledon title underway:

Young was on the verge of a four-set win over Denis Istomin in Round 1 before the Uzbek retired from the contest. While the American is talented, against the top players in the world he's often struggled to find a ruthless edge; that'll allow Nadal to breeze into Round 3.

In the women's draw, Halep is seeking to put her French Open heartbreak behind her and made a strong start with a two-set win over Marina Erakovic. She will face Laura Robson's conquerer Beatriz Haddad Maia next.

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While she suffered disappointment in the final at Roland Garros having lost to the unseeded Jelena Ostapenko, this year can still be a memorable one for the Romanian. Per the WTA Twitter feed, the world No. 1 spot is up for grabs for Halep:

Like Murray, there were injury concerns surrounding Konta ahead of her Round 1 match at SW19. But as noted by Radio City Talk's Matthew Jones, she did a fine job in overcoming Hsieh Su-Wei:

Konta faces a tricky opponent in her next match. In preparation for Wimbledon Donna Vekic met the Brit in the final of the Nottingham Open and secured a surprise three-set win in punishing conditions. With nothing to lose in this second-round match, the Croatian will be dangerous again.