On Friday, the Wimbledon men and women's draw came out, allowing every tennis pundit the opportunity to make predictions and projections that will look laughable in two weeks. But, part of the fun of the draw is making these prognostications, being that pundit who "called" the big upset. I will do my best to make my readers proud, with a goal of one bold prediction coming through. So, what do I expect to happen for the women in London?
Three Bold Predictions
- Camila Giorgi will make the Quarterfinals. Yes, this does sound crazy given Giorgi's form, or lack thereof. Giorgi had to pull out of the Ricoh Open in the Netherlands, a title she was defending, and lost her opening matches in both Birmingham and Eastbourne. She is under a lot of pressure to pick up a decent haul of points at Wimbledon due to the rankings drop that came with losing those Rosmalen points. And, given Giorgi disastrous Third Round against Wozniacki last year, is she Giorgi not good enough for the biggest stages of tennis?
Giorgi's draw initially seems as if it wouldn't help her cause but I see reason for hope. Her opening round against Muguruza will be a huge moment for Garbine, as well. This will be only the second match for Muguruza following her win at Roland Garros, and her first major. Not only that, but as the defending Finalist, she has a ton of points to defend, in addition to the new pressures on her shoulders. It's also important to note that Camila leads the H2H 2-1. I believe Giorgi's powerful game with overwhelm a stunned Muguruza and that she will advance. Although she had a good run in Mallorca, Mariana Duque-Marino is a clay courter and should not present problems for Camila in the Second Round (based upon my projections). In the Third Round I have Giorgi playing Lucie Safarova, and although she has had success here in the past, Safarova's poor recent form suggests that Giorgi could send Lucie packing, as well. In the Round of 16, I believe Camila will take on equally-as-erratic Sabine Lisicki, a former Wimbledon Finalist. I think a confident Giorgi goes toe-to-toe with Lisicki in a wild match, winning it in three sets. Then, in the Quarterfinals, Giorgi will lose to Venus Williams.
- Tsetvana Pironkova will make the Semifinals. Normally, drawing the seven seed is a recipe for a First Round exit, but given Bencic's recent absence on tour, the confidence Pironkova got from her run in Paris, and her history at Wimbledon, and all of a sudden, it seems as if the fortnight will be good to Tsetvana. As I mentioned earlier, Bencic has just returned from injury, and I watched much of her run to the Ricoh Open semis, and was not impressed by her game. It seems as if Belinda has lost some of the punch on her groundstrokes. From there, I think Pironkova easily dismisses Andrea Petkovic, who's counterpuncher style is not the best for grass.
From there, I foresee Pironkova taking on Petra Kvitova, two-time Champion, and Agnieszka Radwanska, former Wimbledon Finalist. In regards to the Kvitova match, last year's loss to Jankovic, when Petra looked to be in red-hot form showed me that Kvitova on any given day can just play disastrously. I also think that Kvitova has lost a lot of the confidence she gained from that 2014 title, and has gone off the rails a bit lately. Pironkova will win that match in what, like for Lisicki-Giorgi, should be a wild affair. Radwanska has not impressed me with her grass court play this season. She looked lethargic in her loss to Coco Vandeweghe in Birmingham, and collapsed from a set-and-a-break up against Dominka Cibulkova in Eastbourne. Radwanska seems to have even loss some of the touch that she is famous for. Pironkova will surprise again and win that match to reach the Semifinals, before ultimately losing to Serena Williams.
- The Final will be contested between the Williams sisters. Yes, we will get another Final between Venus and Serena Williams. For Serena to get to number 22, she will have to go through her sister, who will be desperate for another major to help cap off a brilliant career. The drama, the storylines, and the high level of play will help make this an extraordinary Wimbledon Final. The two have played 27 times, with the head-to-head very tight, Serena leading 16-11. And while Serena won easily at Wimbledon last year, the two played a very tight match the US Open last year, Serena taking it in three sets.
As a tennis fan, this is the type of match you want to see. And I believe we will see it on one of the biggest stages of tennis, two weeks from today. A five-time Wimbledon champion, with seven majors, battling a six-time Wimbledon champion, with 21 majors. So yes, I predict this match will be the Final, and it will surely be a treat to watch.
Draw Projections
- Quarterfinals:
Serena Williams defeats Coco Vendeweghe in two sets
Tsetvana Pironkova defeats Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets
Angelique Kerber defeats Madison Keys in three sets
Venus Williams defeats Camila Giorgi in two sets
- Semifinals
Serena Williams defeats Tsetvana Pironkova in three sets
Venus Williams defeats Angelique Kerber in three sets
- Final
Serena Williams defeats Venus Williams in three sets.
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