Wimbledon 2021: Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino

Date: 29 June 2021

Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: London, Great Britain

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £17,066,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino preview

Roger Federer will begin his quest for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title when he takes on Adrian Mannarino in the first round at the All England Club on Tuesday.

Federer, seeded sixth this year, has been presented with a slightly tricky draw. And given his poor form since his comeback, the 39-year-old will likely tread cautiously against every single opponent.

Couple of Wimbledon legends: Roger Federer and Andy Murray practising at the All England Club this evening. pic.twitter.com/CRfrQQrkmb

— George Bellshaw (@BellshawGeorge) June 25, 2021

Federer has often claimed that his season truly begins only at Wimbledon, where he is always regarded as one of the favorites irrespective of his form. But things aren't looking too bright for the 2019 runner-up this time around, especially given his demoralizing defeat to Felix Auger-Aliassime at Halle last week.

While the result in itself was not surprising, the manner in which Federer surrendered in the last two sets raised a fair few eyebrows. The Swiss great also found very little success on his serve, which is arguably his biggest weapon at the age of 39.

That said, Federer showed at Roland Garros last month that he remains a force to be reckoned with in the best-of-five format. His experience allows him to manage the workload smartly in long matches, and also enhances his chances of fighting back in case things don't go his way initially.

Moreover, grass being one of the quicker surfaces around aids Federer's naturally aggressive game. The Swiss will find it easier to keep points short as he looks to safeguard his body ahead of a potentially grueling fortnight.

That said, Roger Federer would have probably hoped for an easier first-round opponent than the grass-loving Adrian Mannarino.

Federer's path to Wimbledon title:1R: Mannarino2R: Gasquet/Sugita3R: Norrie4R: Carreno BustaQF: MedvedevSF: Zverev/BerrettiniF: Djokovic/Tsitsipas.What are your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/K4A8SYIlsv

— Majid Abass (@majrf_20) June 25, 2021

Mannarino is in decent form too, having just lost to Sam Querrey in the semifinals of the Mallorca Open. The Frenchman will enter the Championships with a good amount of match practice under his belt, which will likely play to his advantage against a still-rusty Federer.

Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino head-to-head

Roger Federer leads Adrian Mannarino by a margin of 6-0 in the head-to-head. Federer has beaten Mannarino twice before at Wimbledon (2011 and 2018), and in all matches combined has lost just one set to the Frenchman.

Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino prediction

Adrian Mannarino

While Adrian Mannarino is not the biggest of servers or ball-strikers on tour, the angles he can create make him a difficult player to deal with. The Frenchman also enjoys playing on grass, given that it keeps his flat shots low and skiddy.

Roger Federer will also have his task cut out while dealing with Mannarino's lefty serve, given his recent struggles on the return. But the key for the Swiss great, as always, will be his serve; if he can be accurate enough with that shot, he will likely come up trumps in the end.

Prediction: Roger Federer to win in four sets.