Manic Monday is a thing of the past. That is a shame in some respects but Sunday, day seven, at the All England Club should be an entertaining one. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule. But who will reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals?
Wimbledon Day 7 Predictions
Ons Jabeur vs Elise Mertens
Jim: Ons Jabeur has looked very sharp so far at Wimbledon, beating Mirjam Bjorklund, Katarzyna Kawa and Diane Parry, losing only a handful of games in the process. Elise Mertens, however, will likely pose a sterner test. Still, if the Tunisian can maintain the level she has showed so far at Wimbledon, and during the grass-court season generally, she should have enough to get past Mertens.
Prediction: Jabeur in 3
Jakub: Jabeur, now on an eight-match winning streak, is the favorite to win the title here. The Tunisian’s incredible play and bag of tricks available to her as been on show so far. Jabeur’s run has not been very tough but she has not stumbled at all, dropping just 13 games across the first three rounds. After struggling in the first two matches, Mertens pulled off a big upset, taking out Angelique Kerber in straight sets. If the Belgian brings the same level, it could be a very interesting challenge for Jabeur as she beat her at the US Open last year but I believe that the new #2 will overcome Mertens.
Prediction: Jabeur in 2
Fraser: Jabeur continues to wow with her shot-making ability. The Tunisian is a contender at every tournament she plays in and it’s probably just a matter of time until she wins a Grand Slam. Mertens has looked good so far in Wimbledon but she hasn’t played the tennis capable of beating the best in the women’s game for a while now. Jabeur is in that group and should advance here.
Prediction: Jabeur in 3
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Heather Watson vs Jule Niemeier
Jim: What an opportunity this is for both players to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Both have played well enough to earn their place in the last eight. But Heather Watson is probably the more natural grass-court player. She will also have the crowd behind her. Expect that to prove the difference.
Prediction: Watson in 3
Jakub: This is an absolutely fascinating match-up. Ostapenko’s huge ball-bashing game against Maria’s slice and dice is not just a tennis match but a battle of philosophies. In three matches, the Latvian has had just one off set, dropping the first against Irina-Camelia Begu. Maria, through to the first round at a slam for the first time in her career at 34-years-old, took out Maria Sakkari in her last match. Ostapenko can absolutely blow her away but she can just as well become frustrated as she did in her two losses to Monica Niculescu, a player with a similar style on the forehand wing. On current form, I see Ostapenko as the favorite here but I believe this will be a match of ups and downs, so expect a funky scoreline.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 3
Fraser: Watson has used the familiarity of British grass courts to right her season after some poor results so far in 2022. By contrast, Niemeier is using the grass court swing to announce her arrival in the women’s game. This one could go either way but it appears to mean more to the German so I’ll give her the edge here.
Prediction: Niemeier in 3
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Jelena Ostapenko vs Tatjana Maria
Jim: Tatjana Maria has played some superb tennis so far at Wimbledon, not least in stunning fifth seed Maria Sakkari in the third round. But Jelena Ostapenko has been in excellent form in her own right, reaching the final in Eastbourne before beating Oceane Dodin, Yanina Wickmayer and Irina-Camelia Begu to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon. If she can maintain the level she has displayed so far at the All England Club, expect her to overpower Maria.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Jakub: Watson, Wimbledon mixed doubles champion from 2016, gets her singles moment at SW19. The 30-year-old is through to the fourth round at a slam for the first time in her career, and what’s more, could very well win again. Niemeier showed some incredible tennis when she took out second seed Anett Kontaveit but had to work hard to beat the experienced Lesia Tsurenko.
If their previous meeting at Monterrey earlier this season, which the Brit won in a third-set tiebreak, is anything to go by, we will be in for a treat here. Niemeier has the game to just take the match out of Watson’s hands but we know the crowd will get the best out of the Brit, which is why I am leaning towards her here.
Prediction: Watson in 3
Fraser: Maria is a surprise name in this group after doing little of note on the WTA Tour in recent years. Her run at Wimbledon has been good but it’s likely over here as Ostapenko has been elite on grass the last couple of years. Back the Latvian to hit her way into the next round.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
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Marie Bouzkova vs Caroline Garcia
Jim: This match could go either way. But Caroline Garcia has that much more variety than Marie Bouzkova. The Czech, who has already accounted for seventh seed Danielle Collins, Ann Li and Alison Riske, will not make things easy for Garcia. But if the Frenchwoman plays her best tennis, or something close to it, expect her to reach the last eight.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Jakub: Bouzkova, currently on the best slam run of her career, has been an absolute star this week. The Czech opened with a huge battle against Danielle Collins, taking out the seventh seed 6-4 in the third. Since then, the 23-year-old has dropped just eight games against Ann Li and more impressively, grass expert Alison Riske. After three straight first-round exits, Garcia is back in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2016.
The former world #4 has won eight matches in a row, winning Bad Homburg before coming into Wimbledon, but it has not all been easy for the Frenchwoman as she was pushed to a third-set tiebreak by wildcard Yuriko Miyazaki in the first round. Since then, Garcia has taken out Emma Raducanu and Zhang Shuai in straight sets. With Bouzkova’s hurricane of a form and dominant win over Garcia in their only previous meeting, dropping just three games at Birmingham last season, the Czech is the favorite for me.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
Fraser: Bouzkova and Garcia were both desperate for form heading into the grass court swing and they’ve both found it. However, Garcia seems to have found a level near her best of years past and that is tough to beat. The French star has top five tennis in her locker, though we haven’t seen it for a while until now. If she continues at this level she’s a real threat at Wimbledon and should move on here.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
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