The third round of Wimbledon begins on Day 5. At the end of the day, eight women will have booked their Manic Monday spots. But who will those eight women be? Our writers share their thoughts on all the matches. We predict four matches in this article and four matches in a separate article. Predicting today’s matches are Yesh Ginsburg, Damian Kust, and Jim Smith.
Wimbledon Day 5 Women’s Predictions
Aryna Sabalenka vs Maria Camila Osorio Serrano
Karolina Pliskova vs Tereza Martincova
Yesh:
Pliskova likes the grass and she’s finally playing well. She was in a slump before, but the Wimbledon grass seems to have brought her back to form. Expect her to reach another Manic Monday.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Damian:
No one was looking at Pliskova coming into this Wimbledon and perhaps that’s the position from which she’ll be most dangerous. The Czech is always a threat on the grass, even if the previous editions of the Championships weren’t that great for her. The draw’s opening up too and she seems to be getting more comfortable on the court than in last months.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Jim:
Having negotiated an exceptionally tough start to her Wimbledon campaign, the onus is now on Pliskova to take advantage of her hard work. This is certainly a match that a player of her quality should be winning, but that has not always meant a great deal for the former-world #1. Still, there should be few surprises in store for Pliskova up against her compatriot.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu
Yesh:
Swiatek is one of the best and most powerful women in the game right now. She had no real experience on grass before this year, but she’s adapting to the surface well. Her loss at the French Open was honestly shocking, and she’s ready for a Wimbledon run to make up for it.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Damian:
Swiatek is looking better and better on the grass with each match she plays and if that trend continues, she could suddenly become a contender here. This is a rather favorable draw and the Pole should have enough to make it, perhaps even comfortably if she maintains her level from the first two rounds. Her serve has been surprisingly effective on the lawn.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Jim:
Swiatek, who lost in the first round on her previous visit to Wimbledon, has made an impressive adaptation to grass-court tennis so far at the 2021 Championships. Begu, meanwhile, has scored two very fine wins to match her best-ever result at Wimbledon. But this is surely the end of the road for the Romanian.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Elena Rybakina vs Shelby Rogers
Yesh:
Rybakina didn’t have much experience on grass to start the season, but that hasn’t held her back. She’s moving beautifully on the surface and hitting the ball so cleanly. Shelby Rogers is always up for an upset, but she’s squarely an underdog here.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Damian:
The American’s talent for producing upsets time after time again is undeniable, but the question is if she can do one more at this year’s Championships. For how limited Rybakina’s grass-court experience is, her win ratio is excellent and her powerful game seems to suit the surface really well. She’s going to be the favorite here, but Rogers is a player one shouldn’t underestimate.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Jim:
Rogers may not be a particularly consistent player, but she is capable of springing some surprise results. She claimed another by upsetting French Open semifinalist Maria Sakkari in the second round. However, her task will get no easier against the hard-hitting Rybakina. There should be plenty of unforced errors and winners in this one, but expect the Kazakh to be the player left standing at the end.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Madison Keys vs Elise Mertens
Yesh:
Mertens is more consistent, but Keys has the better top-level game. The American hasn’t been at her best consistently for a few years now, but she’s finding her groove recently. Mertens will make her work for it, but Keys should have the answers. The American’s power will be the difference.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Damian:
Mertens has been extremely dominant so far and she’s made the third round at her last 14 slams, which is just crazy consistency. But can the Belgian match the power and the ridiculous upside of Keys? The 2-0 lead in the head-to-head convinces me that she won’t, but the American will have to stay patient and try to limit the number of errors that comes with her aggressive game, which is no easy task.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Jim:
Mertens has made an excellent start to her Wimbledon campaign, brushing aside Harriet Dart and Zhu Lin for the loss of only a handful of games. She will likely face sterner resistance up against the powerful Keys, but the Belgian’s greater consistency and her excellent linear shots should give her the edge.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
