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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Caroline Garcia vs Katie Volynets
Tournament: Wimbledon 2023
Date: July 3, 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Match timing: Approx. 1 pm local time, 2 pm CET, 8 am ET, 5.30 pm IST
Prize money: £44,700,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN & RDS | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports
Caroline Garcia vs Katie Volynets preview
Fifth seed Caroline Garcia will open her Wimbledon 2023 campaign against World No. 123 Katie Volynets on Monday (July 3).
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After the best season of her career that saw her win four titles, including the WTA Finals, Garcia has been having an underwhelming season by her lofty standards. The World No. 5 reached a couple of finals at Lyon and Monterrey this season, losing them both.
The Frenchwoman also made five quarterfinals this year, with the last two coming on the grass of Berlin and Eastbourne. However, a right shoulder injury hampered Garcia's progress at the latter tournament, forcing the 29-year-old to retire from her last-eight face-off against Daria Kasatkina.
Garcia will now be racing against time to get fully fit for the grasscourt Major, where she has twice reached the last 16.
Garcia's first-round opponent, Katie Volynets, meanwhile, is a 21-year-old rising star of American tennis, with a couple of ITF $10,000 titles.
Volynets has been making steady progress this year. She qualified and reached the third round of the Australian Open, her best performance at a Slam. The youngster followed that up with a run to the semifinals of the WTA 250 event in Austin, Texas. Volynets also made the last four at a couple of WTA 125 tournaments, which sent her world ranking soaring to a career-high No. 74.
However, she has struggled during the grasscourt swing, winning only one of her four matches.
Caroline Garcia vs Katie Volynets head-to-head
Garcia and Volynets have never squared off on tour before, so their head-to-head record is 0-0.
Caroline Garcia vs Katie Volynets odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM.
Caroline Garcia vs Katie Volynets prediction
Clearly, there's a huge gulf in the experience level between the two players, making Caroline Garcia the overwhelming favorite to come through.
Garcia's flat, aggressive strokes and strong serves make her dangerous on grass, as evident from her three titles on the slick surface. Being a proficient doubles player, her excellent volleying skills also come in handy on grass.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Garcia has attained full fitness following her injury scare in Eastbourne. If she struggles, Volynets, being a speedy counterpuncher, could have her moments. However, once Garcia finds her rhythm, she shouldn't have much of a problem in dispatching the young American.
Pick: Garcia to win in straight sets
