We are closing in on the end of the first week of Wimbledon, as only four spots remain to be booked on Manic Monday. There are eight women’s matches on Saturday, and we are here to predict five of them for you. Predicting today are writers Eric Han, Lukas Weese, Jay Sandhu, and editor Yesh Ginsburg.
Wimbledon Day 6 Women’s Predictions
Simona Halep vs Su-Wei Hsieh
Lukas:
This is a mismatch as #1 seed Simona Halep is taking on unseeded Su-Wei Hsieh. Halep is coming off her first Grand Slam at the French Open and is poised to make a deep run at this Wimbledon tournament. Hsieh has had tremendous success as a doubles players, but not much in singles. This should be a routine win for Halep to punch her ticket into the Round of 16.
Prediction: Halep in 2
Eric:
Hsieh is an unorthodox player (two-handed on both sides and often uses slice on both sides as well) so I think will give Halep some trouble on the grass at the beginning. I can see a potential upset here but will say Halep in three.
Prediction: Halep in 3
Yesh:
Hsieh might be one of the most underrated players in the world on grass. She can certainly give the World #1 fits here. Still, Halep is playing too well not to back her right now.
Prediction: Halep in 2
Jay:
Being one of the only two top 10 players left in the draw, Halep should be looking for a deep run here. However, she will have her most difficult match yet as she will face such a tricky opponent in Hsieh. Hsieh has had one of her best years ever and can cause upsets and is very good on grass. However, Halep won’t offer many errors and is on a high at the moment and should make the second week with ease.
Prediction: Halep in 2
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Elise Mertens vs Dominica Cibulkova
Lukas:
15th seed Elise Mertens will be taking on unseeded Dominika Cibulkova in the third round. Cibulkova is 2-1 over Mertens, but Elise beat the Slovakian player in Beijing last Autumn in straight sets. In her last match, Cibulkova had a 75% first serve percentage, committing only nine unforced errors. Mertens is also serving well, averaging 69% and committing only 11 unforced errors in her last match. It will be close between both players but I think Cibulkova’s aggression and confidence at the moment will get her into the fourth round of Wimbledon.
Prediction: Cibulkova in 3
Eric:
Cibulkova has been playing well all tournament, beating Cornet and Konta in the previous rounds. The grass isn’t Mertens’ favorite surface, and I will go for the upset here.
Prediction: Cibulkova in 3
Yesh:
Cibulkova has been on fire this tournament. Her anger at not being seeded seems to have lit a major spark, and she just blasted Johanna Konta off the court. I don’t know how long this great form will last, but I’m backing it as long as it does.
Prediction: Cibulkova in 2
Jay:
Mertens has had an amazing year, while Cibulkova has been quite average. Despite this, it’s still very difficult to predict. Cibulkova played her best match of the year against Konta and will look to repeat her form, but Mertens is also very comfortable on grass and is very consistent. The Belgian is high on confidence at the moment and will bring her through.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
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Belinda Bencic vs Carla Suarez Navarro
Lukas:
27th seed veteran from Spain Carla Suarez-Navarro is taking on the Swiss player Belinda Bencic in what should be a great third round match. These two ladies have played once in 2015 at Stuttgart, where Suarez Navarro won in straight sets. Bencic has to serve better if she has any chance in beating the Spaniard. She only served 66% but only won 40% of her return points. Navarro has broken serve 10 times in her last two matches, demonstrating that her groundstrokes are coming into form at the right time. There will be exciting points but I think Navarro’s experience will be too much for Bencic, booking herself a spot into the Round of 16 for Manic Monday.
Prediction: Suarez Navarro in 2
Eric:
Suarez-Navarro isn’t really known for her grass court prowess, but rather her clay court game. Whereas, Bencic’s style of play is flat powerful shots and looking to finish points quickly which are effective on a grass court. Hence, I can see Bencic beating Suarez-Navarro.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
Yesh:
A few years ago, this would have been easy. Bencic was rapidly rising and looked on pace to be Switzerland’s next superstar. Now, her rise has stalled and she’s a middle-of-the-pack WTA Tour player. She looks good this tournament, though, and Suarez Navarro has never been great on a grass court. It’s tough to pick Bencic because she isn’t consistent right now, but she has been playing better than the Spaniard this tournament.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
Jay:
Bencic has been one of the surprises of the tournament and managed to beat Garcia in straight sets. Suarez Navarro, on the other hand, has had a reasonably easy draw and will face her biggest challenge yet. The Spaniards biggest problem is that she is just consistent, where as Bencic has a lot more power than her. This match will be in the Swiss players hands and should win comfortably
Prediction: Bencic in 2
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Daria Kasatkina vs Ashleigh Barty
Lukas:
Kasatkina and Barty come into this match, having never played each other before and winning their preceding matches in straight sets. So far this tournament, Kasatkina has been serving tremendously well, averaging a 63% first serve percentage over two matches. Barty, on the other hand, has combined 60 winners in two matches. This will be a close match that will feature some great points. I like Barty to win in three sets, as she has been hitting her shots with tremendous pace and aggression, which will counter Kasatkina’s serve.
Prediction: Barty in 3
Eric:
Barty is a former Wimbledon Junior champion so she knows her way on a grass court. I believe Kasatkina’s flat groundstrokes will be neutralized by Barty’s all-around grass court game, so I would give Barty the win.
Prediction: Barty in 2 tight sets
Yesh:
Barty took a hiatus from tennis and now seems to be in her top form. She is an excellent grass court player and should be able to get past a tough opponent without serious trouble.
Prediction: Barty in 2
Jay:
If this match was played on a different surface, Kasatkina would be the clear favourite, but on grass it’s very difficult to predict. The young Russian has had a breakthrough year while Barty is carrying on from last year. Both have a very similar playing style but Barty is slightly better on grass and will just have the edge.
Prediction: Barty in 3
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Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber
Lukas:
Former World #1 Angelique Kerber is coming into the third round playing stellar tennis. She is taking on Naomi Osaka, the 18th seed at Wimbledon. This is the fourth meeting between these ladies, with Kerber winning the first three, the last being in Beijing in straight sets. Kerber’s experience in this position will be used to her advantage, as she utilizes her tremendous groundstrokes to defeat Osaka and advance to the 4th Round.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
Eric:
Both players have been playing extremely well and are heavily reliant on their forehands to win their matches. But I don’t believe Osaka has mastered her way on a grass court just yet, Kerber is a former finalist here, so at this point of time, I believe Kerber will edge the young talented Japanese player.
Prediction: Kerber in 3
Yesh:
There is so little to separate these two players. Osaka seems like the future of tennis, but Kerber is already near the top of the game. She seems to have recovered from her year of poor form in 2017, so I’ll take the German to move on in a tight match.
Prediction: Kerber in 3
Jay:
Osaka has had her breakout year and is very dangerous on grass, but Kerber is just too good for her. The German will challenge her by getting everything back into court and neutralising Osaka’s groundstrokes. It won’t be easy, but Kerber should win in two close sets.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
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