We get to see two of the men’s quarterfinal matches on Tuesday at Wimbledon, and the question on everyone’s mind will be if someone can upset Novak Djokovic. As always, our writers will share their thoughts on that question–as well as who should win the other match, between Jannik Sinner and Roman Safiullin. Predicting these matches are Andreas Pelekis, Damian Kust, and Jordan Reynolds. We also have predictions for Tuesday’s women’s matches.
Wimbledon Men’s Quarterfinal Predictions
Jannik Sinner vs Roman Safiullin
Andreas:
Safiullin has definitely turned into the surprise story of this year’s Wimbledon. He’s avoided huge names this tournament, so many tennis fans will be able to watch him play for the first time when he takes on Sinner. Safiullin plays solid, yet aggressive tennis, and frequently takes the ball early on both groundstrokes and returns. The Russian’s backhand is noticeably weaker, so Sinner should be able to have a field day with his dynamic cross court forehand. The Italian will have plenty of motivation in this one despite Safiullin’s lower ranking, as he’s yet to make a Grand Slam semifinal in his career. Sinner is also serving flawlessly, winning approximately 80% of first serve points in his first four matches. Nerves from Sinner could allow Safiullin to bring his best and ultimately snatch a set, but Sinner should be too good.
Prediction: Sinner in 4
Damian:
Sinner’s run so far has been very easy with Halys being basically the only player who had the game to touch him. Does Safiullin present much danger? He’ll surely contest the Italian off the baseline and will be trying to stop him from having too much freedom to dictate. The contrast in their ability to accelerate or racket head speed could be important though. Sinner’s hitting off the ground is a lot more violent and even an inspired effort from Safiullin might not be enough.
Prediction: Sinner in 4
Jordan:
Safiullin along with Christopher Eubanks is the surprise package of the men’s draw, beating Denis Shapovalov in the fourth round. Safiullin has always had much talent, but there was surely no one who thought that talent would come out so suddenly at SW19. Sinner has only dropped one set on his way to the quarterfinals. His hard shots are seeming to suit the grass more and more, and he is moving even more swiftly on the grass this year. His momentum is growing, and he will have enough to end safiullin’s superb run this year, despite Safiullin likely producing some more superb winners of his own along the way.
Prediction: Sinner in 4
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Novak Djokovic vs Andrey Rublev
Andreas:
It would be great to see Rublev make this a riveting quarterfinal, but Djokovic is ultimately on another planet. Similar to how he played at the French Open, Djokovic is less afraid to take the ball early and dictate points, and he’s still a human wall on the defense. His serve is also increasingly on point, shutting out opportunities for opponents to make a move. Rublev will need to execute on breakpoints, something he’s done pretty well this tournament. Most importantly, Rublev’s mental game will have to be at 100%, something Hurkacz was clearly unable to do in his fourth round match against the Serb. Djokovic will also have a ton of confidence given what he did to Rublev in their last meeting at the Australian Open; that match epitomized Djokovic’s dominance against the Russian. This match’s outcome might have a similar outcome to their meeting in Melbourne.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Damian:
Historically, this is a really tough matchup for Rublev. While he did beat Djokovic in Belgrade last year, it was when the Serbian was still in the process of coming back after a break and far from at his strongest physically. The last two matches between them were just absolute beatdowns with Djokovic exposing the liability on Rublev’s backhand side and slowly working his way though the Russian. Grass probably doesn’t help his cause at all as it’s not where the 25-year-old feels most comfortable.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Jordan:
Rublev showed mental fortitude against the mercurial Alexander Bublik to steady himself and win the fifth set. He is in his first Wimbledon quarterfinal, and will have to be even more impressive with his serve and forehand combination than he was against Bublik to have a chance. But I see Djokovic coming through this match more comfortably than against Hurkacz. The defending champion was pushed very hard by the Pole, and a huge upset could have been on the cards if Hurkacz took the big chances he had in the two tiebreaks in the first two sets. But Djokovic found a way as he always seems too. Rublev’s serve is strong but not as good as Hurkacz’s, and Djokovic will get chances on return to give him victory.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
