Manic Monday at Wimbledon is here, as all the fourth-round matches, weather permitting, are set to be played on one tennis filled day at the All England Club. Here at LWOT, we will be offering our predictions for all 16 matches across both draws. Making their picks for this slate of matches are Jim Smith and Tracey Essex.
Wimbledon Manic Monday Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Petra Martic
Jim: Svitolina has not exactly been relentlessly impressive at the Championships, but she has displayed admirable fighting spirit to battle into the second week. Martic too has had to work hard to book her place in the fourth round. And this seems likely to be another close contest. But Svitolina has won their last three clashes, admittedly all on clay, and should just about be able to get over the line against the Croatian once again.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Tracey: Svitolina continues to win matches, even while racking up the error count. Can you imagine how these matches might have gone had she managed to managed to rein in her errors? It just goes to show how much potential is there, if Svitolina plays a cleaner match. Martic doesn’t have a straight sets win yet. The Croat has been pushed to a decider in all three of her matches in London.
Yet, Martic continues to find a way to come good. The grit and determination from Martic is really quite remarkable. I think Martic will capitalize on her break opportunities and benefit from the high Svitolina error count. Martic has reached at least the quarterfinal of every tournament played since April. Expect the Croatian to continue that streak at Wimbledon.
Prediction: Martic in 3
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Karolina Pliskova vs Karolina Muchova
Jim: Pliskova survived her first real test of the tournament up against Hsieh Su-wei in the third round, beating the Taiwanese #1 in three hard-fought sets. Muchova, meanwhile, has been enjoying a break out run at the All England Club. But it is one that the power of Pliskova looks set to bring to a halt.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Tracey: Pliskova’s winning streak continues, now at eight straight matches with a win over Hsieh Su-wei in the third round. Not an easy outing, as Hsieh made Pliskova run all over the court, from side to side and back and forth. But Pliskova was able to blast her fair share of forehand winners and, the tour’s ace leader blasted 14 more against Hsieh. Her compatriot Muchova has played well this tournament and should be pleased with her fourth-round berth. But against Pliskova’s power and skill, Muchova surely has little chance.
Prediction: Pliskova in two
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Zhang Shuai vs Dayana Yastremska
Jim: Yastremska recovered well from a slow start to beat Viktorija Golubic and back up her fine win over Mallorca Open champion Sofia Kenin. Zhang, meanwhile, has been playing some excellent tennis in her own right, beating 14th seed Caroline Wozniacki to reach the last 16. Expect this to be another close contest on Manic Monday, but Yastremska, who won their only previous clash in Hong Kong last season, has the greater power and that should give her the edge.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Tracey: It’s going to be a battle between the game’s rising star versus the experienced veteran. Zhang’s solid return game proved too much for the 14th seed Caroline Wozniacki as the Chinese won in straight sets. An amazing accomplishment for Zhang. who’d never won a main draw match at Wimbledon prior to this season. Yastremska has made the fourth round in her maiden Wimbledon. Yastremska has upended both Camila Giorgi and Kenin so far. The Ukrainian should have little cause for concern against China’s Zhang. If Yastremska remains confident in her game, she’ll enjoy her first Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Prediction: Yastremska in 2
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Simona Halep vs Cori Gauff
Jim: This should be some match. Regardless of what happens from now, Gauff’s thrilling run will surely be the story of the tournament. But Halep is a formidable opponent. Though not at her best on the grass, Halep did reach the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2014 and spreads the court superbly, particularly on the forehand side. She was also in devastating form against Azarenka in the third round. If she can keep her composure, expect her to prove a challenge too far for the teenaged Gauff.
Prediction: Halep in 3
Tracey: Halep wins so many matches by breaking down her opponents. Constantly getting just that one more ball back in play, forcing them to retrieve or go for too much. Service-wise, Halep has no weapon there. The Romanian simply gets the ball in place and relies on her defensive skills to hold. Gauff, in contrast, has a great service, effortless power and lightening quick speed which can get her to nearly any ball. The rising American star has the power to hit Halep right off the court and defensive skills to match the Romanian’s own.
Gauff also appears to be able to play nerveless tennis. In fact, down a set and 2-5, Gauff looked like she could have been playing at some city park – incredibly calm and focused on perhaps the biggest stage in tennis. This will be a tough match for Halep, who still gives in to nerves, emotion and frustration at times. Halep can quickly fall apart when nerves or frustration take over. I see the 15-year-old, already a favourite with the crowd, making the quarterfinals at her maiden Wimbledon.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
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