The All England Club is entering its second week of competition. Day 7 of Wimbledon brings us four players looking to clinch a spot in the quarter-finals. A packed schedule is on the cards, with No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina taking on No. 17 seed Anna Kalinskaya. As always, here at LWOT, we have round-table predictions for all the Grand Slam events. Jordan Reynolds, Andreas Pelekis and Liam McBride give us their views.
Wimbledon Women’s Day 8 Predictions
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Yulia Putintseva
Jordan
Putintseva’s stunning win over Iga Swiatek naturally attracted a lot of attention, but Ostapenko was also very good against Bernarda Pera in the last round. At her best, the Latvian is hard to stop. Nevertheless, I continue to back Putintseva to reach the quarterfinals. Not only because of her excellent form, but also her cunning and variety of styles, which makes her an ideal style to counter Ostapenko’s power.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Andreas
Remember the 2016 China Open? These two players met for the first time at that WTA 1000 tournament and shook hands after an intense battle. Neither player will want to lose this time around and expect an intense match with contrasting styles. Ostapenko has only lost 10 games in that tournament and while Puntiseva is full of confidence after beating Iga Swiatek, it might be hard to replicate that performance on Monday.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Liam
Two in-form players go head-to-head. Ostapenko would have been delighted to face Iga Swiatek on grass, but she finds herself up against a confident Putintseva, who has won eight in a row since winning the title in Birmingham. It will be a clash of styles with Ostapenko’s attacking nature and Putintseva’s variety, such as the backhand slices that Swiatek has been unable to counter. However, it is the Latvian who will continue her brilliant start to the season at SW 19.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Danielle Collins vs Barbora vs Krejcikova
Jordan
Collins will win this match if she consistently plays her best tennis. She was unplayable at times in her last-round win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, though she also had some weak moments. Krejcikova has a solid, all-around game. But the way Collins plays when her game is in top form could give her a very long run in her final Wimbledon appearance.
Prediction: Collins in 2
Andreas
Collins reached another milestone in her final season on the tour on Saturday; she has now reached the second week of all four Grand Slam tournaments. Meanwhile, Krejcikova is incredibly dangerous when on form, as she appears to be at her best on the courts. Collins will be the aggressor on the fast courts, and she may also have the mental edge after winning so many close matches in 2024. Expect the American to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in a tight match.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Liam
Two of the best players on the tour are going head to head. One of them will reach the quarterfinals, even though grass is by far their worst surface. Krejcikova matched her best run at Wimbledon, while Collins improved on hers. Unlike the previous matchup, a broadly similar style will result in plenty of long rallies from the baseline. In the end, it will all come down to who does it better, Collins will prevail.
Prediction: Collins in 3
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Elina Svitolina vs Wang Xinyu
Jordan
Wang, who narrowly defeated Harriet Dart on Saturday, will need to replicate the exceptional level she reached against Jessica Pegula in the second round to have a realistic chance. Svitolina’s level was formidable against Ons Jabeur, especially in the first set. I trust the Ukrainian to play her best game more consistently than Wang to win in three sets.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Andreas
The win over grass-court-loving Ons Jabeur should give Svitolina some rest, but Wang should be a tough opponent in the fourth round. Wang has won all her matches at Wimbledon in deciding sets, with several comebacks and a first win in the WTA top 10. The Ukrainian should be able to wear Wang down with her consistent groundstrokes, but it could swing either way if Svitolina starts nervously from the start.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Liam
Svitolina looked to have confirmed her semi-final run from last year with a comeback win over two-time finalist Ons Jabeur. Her consistency from the baseline was a sight to behold and she ultimately managed to frustrate the Tunisian and force her into a series of errors. Wang dominated the final three rounds and was hugely impressive in taking down world number five Jessica Pegula. It will be the Chinese player who continues her winning streak from long distance to cause a minor upset.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Elena Rybakina vs Anna Kalinskaya
Jordan
Kalinskaya has yet to drop a set at Wimbledon, but she will have to play better here than she did against Liudmila Samsonova, who struggled a lot against Kalinskaya. Rybakina will be hard to stop if she serves as well as she did in her last match against Caroline Wozniacki. Kalinskaya can match or even beat Rybakina from the baseline, but I’m not sure she can rally enough to have a chance of winning.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Andreas
With Swiatek out, Rybakina is arguably the favourite to win Wimbledon for the second time in her career. Kalinskaya will be a tough test, however, as she has yet to drop a set in the first three rounds. Rybakina will need to defend her service games, while Kalinskaya will need to aim her shots well to move Rybakina around the court, especially as the Kazakh’s movement is not exceptional on grass courts. A close match is expected here.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Liam
In this match, everything depends on Rybakina’s performance, the match is in her hands. Last year, we saw form problems or illness win her out, but as she proved against Wozniacki in the third round, when she reaches her best on grass, no one can trust her. Kalinskaya is in great shape, having not dropped a single set during the entire tournament; however, she will be battered by the Kazakh’s monstrous groundstrokes.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
