Wimbledon 2023: Milos Raonic vs Tommy Paul preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Fixture:Milos Raonic vs (16) Tommy Paul

Date: July 6, 2023

Tournament:Wimbledon 2023

Round: Second Round (Round of 64)

Venue: London, United Kingdom

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £44,700,000

Live telecast

Milos Raonic vs Tommy Paul preview

Milos Raonic takes on 16th seed Tommy Paul for a place in the third round at Wimbledon.

The 849th-ranked Raonic made a winning return at Stuttgart two weeks ago following a long injury layoff. Playing his first Grand Slam match since the 2021 Australian Open, the 32-year-old also made a winning return to the big stage against qualifier Dennis Novak.

The 2016 runner-up made a slow start - dropping the first set in a tiebreak. However, Raonic bounced back to level proceedings - conceding four games - before taking the third in a tiebreak.

With Novak's challenge fading away, the Canadian sprinted across the finish line for the loss of just one game as he brought up his second win in three matches this year. Having fired an impressive 27 aces and saving both break points, Raonic is now 28-9 at SW19.

Meanwhile, World No. 15 Paul saw off Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki to improve to 23-14 in 2023. After edging a tight opener for the loss of five games, Paul sprinted through the next two sets - dropping just four games - to bring up his fourth win in five matches at Wimbledon - where he made the fourth round last year.

The Australian Open semifinalist has had a good season, reaching the finals at Acapulco and Eastbourne.

Milos Raonic vs Tommy Paul head-to-head

Raonic won his lone meeting with Paul in the Acapulco second round in 2021. This will be their first clash on grass.

Milos Raonic vs Tommy Paul odds

All odds are sourced from BETMGM.

Milos Raonic vs Tommy Paul prediction

Both Raonic and Paul are quintessentially baseliners and have similar game styles - big serve, powerful hitting off either flank, and good movement.

While Raonic is understandably rusty after nearly two years on the sidelines, Paul is in the midst of a career-best season. However, the Canadian takes the edge in terms of his experience, consistency, and pedigree, especially on grass, where he has won 51 matches, while Paul has a far modest 12-8 record.

If Raonic can shake off the cobwebs and keep up his level in the first round, he should take a hard-fought win.