Dangerous grass-court dark horses lie in wait for the unpredictable Ana Ivanovic and the rusty Milos Raonic as those top-10 threats  seek to clinch berths in the third round of Wimbledon.

Ana Ivanovic vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands

In tennis, one of the primary questions that arises after a top player competes at a big event concerns whether or not that player will be able to build upon what he or she has just achieved at that tournament.  It is a question that looms especially large following Roland Garros with Wimbledon coming so close on its heels, and even with the additional week of play staged between the two majors this season, it is one that has not diminished in intensity.  It is also a question that Ana Ivanovic, a woman who defied the odds by reaching the final four of Paris, will be asked to answer when she takes on Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round on Wednesday.

On paper, Ivanovic has an excellent look at advancing in this match and continuing on her quest to build upon what she achieved a few weeks ago at Roland Garros.  She is ranked back inside the top 10 at No. 7 and has put forth a number of other respectable results this season, including a finalist appearance in Brisbane.  Furthermore, at least in the singles arena, the 2008 Roland Garros champion has more experience than Mattek-Sands in playing these types of matches on the grandest stages in the sport. While it is true that her play at Wimbledon has been generally mediocre through the years, she did reach the semifinals here in 2007 and certainly has the skills to repeat that feat.

Injuries have hampered Mattek-Sands during the last couple of seasons, and at No. 158, she is ranked more than 150 places below the Serb.  She has also struggled to string together singles victories in 2015, and until this year, she had failed to get out of the first round of Wimbledon in her last four attempts.  Yet for all of that, the American will not be short on belief, since she can find inspiration with what she has achieved in doubles of late.  She is ranked a career-high No. 6 in that area of the sport and has garnered four titles this season, including the Australian Open and Roland Garros with partner Lucie Safarova, giving the two of them a look at securing a calendar-year Grand Slam.  Such accolades do not entirely make up for her lack of success in singles, but they could give her what she needs to get the upset over her higher-ranked opponent in her upcoming second-round match.

History would certainly suggest that this is a match that could go either way. Ivanovic and Mattek-Sands have split their only two prior meetings, both of which went to a third set.  Their respective playing styles make it difficult to discern just who holds the advantage as well.  The American is an aggressive, all-court player, who has good skills and instincts up at the net, which are attributes that are often rewarded on the grass.  That said, Ivanovic is arguably the more consistent of the pair, and she unquestionably is the more powerful ball-striker.  Her forehand will be the biggest weapon on the court, which should put her in a better position to control what transpires in this contest.  It all comes down to execution.

As the more successful singles player with the greater weapons, Ivanovic should get the victory assuming she is able to execute her game plan.  It will take an exceptionally solid effort from Mattek-Sands, executing her unique brand of tennis at a consistently high level, to unsettle the Serb and cause the upset.  Such a scenario is not out of the realm of possibility, but the odds definitely favor Ivanovic getting through to the third round.

Milos Raonic vs. Tommy Haas

Age is just a number.  That is an idea that often gets lost in professional sports.  To be fair, it is true that even the greatest legends eventually suffer the inevitable decline in performance that comes with age.  But athletes do not all decline at the same rate, and there is no set age at where their results should automatically go downhill.  There is also no telling when even the most seasoned of veterans, well past his prime, will find a way to turn back the clock and produce something magical.  Young gun Milos Raonic knows all of this, which is why he will not be taking anything for granted when he squares off against Tommy Haas for a berth in the third round of Wimbledon.

A person could be forgiven for thinking that Haas had already retired from the game. He is now ranked well outside the top 800, and until a couple of weeks ago on the new lawns of Stuttgart, he had not played a competitive match since Roland Garros last season.  This past Monday, aged 37, he became the oldest man to win a match at Wimbledon since Jimmy Connors in 1991.  But Haas will not be content to just be a footnote.  This is a man who was once ranked as high as No. 2 in the world.  This is a player who regularly made the second week at the majors, including the final four at Wimbledon in 2009.  Most importantly, Haas is someone who has competed with and defeated some of the greatest players of this generation, as well as the previous generation.  He may be aware that playing Raonic will not be a walk in the park, but he will by no means be overawed at the prospect.

Of course, Raonic is not apt to be intimidated in this match either.  The young Canadian is one of the most promising of the next crop of players and will be eager to further prove his merit at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.  He climbed all the way up to No. 4 in the rankings earlier this season, and after a minor injury interrupted his play – including his withdrawal from Roland Garros – he resides comfortably at No. 8.  He has already logged one major quarterfinal appearance this year with his play at the Australian Open, and after reaching the semifinals at this venue last year, he will hope to do even better once again at Wimbledon.  

There is no denying that Raonic is the competitor in the more favorable position to get through this match.  He hits bigger from the forehand wing and owns a decisive edge on the serve.  Equally important is his willingness to move forward, which should help him take the net away from Haas.  He also has the mental boost in that he routinely defeated Haas in their lone meeting, which came two years ago in San Jose. 

But Haas is not completely weaponless.  The German has a more versatile backhand that should allow him to get the ball low on the Canadian, as well as help him find his own way to the forecourt.  His backhand could prove more consistent than Raonic's as well, and that is the groundstroke he is going to want to look to more regularly exchange with Raonic to avoid the seventh seed's better forehand.

Truth be told, Raonic is the heavy favorite in this encounter.  He has had the opportunity to play far more competitive tennis over the course of the last 12 months, hits bigger, and has a game that is better suited to the grass surface.  If Haas somehow finds a way to tap into his best despite having hardly played, then he could make a match of it.  He has the experience and enough tools and variety in his game to pull off the upset.  But there is no question that such a scenario is a big ask, and chances are Raonic comes through this match with flying colors.