The first of the two women’s semifinal matches has been set at Wimbledon, and it should be a great one. Will Elina Svitolina continue her astounding run? Or will Marketa Vondrousova turn her first Wimbledon semifinal into her first final? Our writers share their thoughts on the match with you. Predicting this match are Jack Edward, Jordan Reynolds, Jim Smith, Jakub Bobro, and Andreas Pelekis. We also look at the other Wimbledon women’s semifinal, between Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur. Who do you think will win?
Wimbledon Women’s Semifinal Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Marketa Vondrousova
Jack:
Elina Svitolina is playing the tournament of her life. That’s four Grand Slam champions played, four Grand Slam champions defeated. She seems to be hitting the ball with a bit more aggression than she used to, making her rock-solid game even more potent than it used to be. The win against Iga Swiatek showcased this, particularly Svitolina’s ability to cover her own first serve with powerful second shots.
Marketa Vondrousova is having a great run of her own but her game isn’t perfect for the grass–there will be places for Svitolina to strike. The Ukrainian has the rally temperament to keep up with Vondrousova’s patience and her movement is sharp enough for tracking down the Czech’s craftier shots.
I think the dream continues. We’ll see Svitolina make a first Grand Slam final of her career.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Jordan:
It will be an inspiring story regardless of which woman makes their first Wimbledon final. Svitolina reaching a Grand Slam semifinal just three months after returning from maternity leave is both remarkable and unprecedented. Vondrousova making it to the semifinal after just one match win at Wimbledon before this year is also incredible. It will be interesting to see if both players stay as aggressive as they have been throughout the tournament. Svitolina in particular has defied her reputation as a counterpuncher to strike clean winners. Vondrousova did hit 35 unforced errors in the last round, which Jessica Pegula did not take advantage of. I am going to narrowly give the edge to Svitolina to be slightly tidier when it matters most to continue her fairy tale run.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
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Jim:
It has been some run for both players. Elina Svitolina was back in contention at the French Open, reaching the last eight, but she has soared so far at Wimbledon. Not least in her win over world #1 Iga Swiatek. But Marketa Vondrousova has been very impressive too and of the two of them, it is the Czech who has been in a Grand Slam before.
Before this tournament, the Czech didn’t seem to have a game particularly well-suited to the grass. It It would be hard to argue that now after a succession of excellent wins – her latest over Jessica Pegula being perhaps the best yet – and Svitolina will need to guard against any sense that she has already passed her toughest test.
All the same, it is hard not to feel that Svitolina’s moment has arrived. The Ukrainian has experience and momentum behind her, and she’ll also likely have the majority of the crowd on her side. It should be a close contest, but Svitolina is in the happy habit of winning those at the moment. Don’t expect her to break that habit here.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Jakub:
While most eyes were fixed on the incredible story of wildcard and new mom Elina Svitolina ousting top seed Iga Swiatek, Marketa Vondrousova completed a comeback from 1-4 down in the third against Jessica Pegula, winning the last five games. Svitolina and Vondrousova will now battle it out for a spot in the final in the weaker top half. The pair last met in the semifinals of another big event, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where the Czech dominated. Vondrousova leads the head-to-head 3-2 and though she has more variety and produced an incredible level once the roof shut against Pegula, I see Svitolina as the favorite. The Ukrainian has played much more aggressively in her comeback from the baseline, especially at Wimbledon. The crowd will also be fully behind her.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Andreas:
The feel good story of Svitolina continues, and her Wimbledon run is starting to remind people of Stephens’ and Clijsters’ incredible comeback stories at the US Open. Of course, those two runs ended in title victories, and Svitolina surely wants to do the same. Her foot-speed should allow her to read Vondrousova’s tricky groundstrokes. While the Czech has the ability to comeback from any losing position, something she did against Pegula, Svitolina should come into this as the favorite. Look for Svitolina’s unbelievable run to continue into championship weekend.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
