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Wimbledon Semi-finals Preview
The tennis clock keeps on ticking, as the Wimbledon semi-finals are drawing closer and closer. We finally know which players will be competing in the men’s and women’s singles for the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Many big names have already left the tournament, including Andy Murray, Serena Williams, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, but the excitement is only beginning with the Wimbledon semi-finals soon to begin.
Let’s take a look at who could potentially lift the winner’s trophy in the Wimbledon 2022 final.
Who will meet in the semis?
For the men’s competition, the two Wimbledon semi-finals will take place on Friday 8th July.
Kyrgios vs. Nadal
The first will be between hotheaded Aussie, Nick Kyrgios, and calm-like-an-ocean Spaniard, Rafael Nadal. There may never be a better tennis contest between the elements of fire and ice.
Kyrgios, love him or hate him, has been playing incredibly well of late, and thoroughly deserves this Wimbledon semi-finals spot against the legend that is Nadal. Kyrgios served up 17 aces in his straight-sets win over Christian Garin, and routinely pulls out incredible shots that not many athletes could even attempt.
This is the first time Kyrgios has reached the semis of Wimbledon, indeed, he’s the first unseeded and lowest-ranked player (40th) to even get to the last four spots of Wimbledon since 2008.
Kyrgios is well known for his fiery play, which involves endless tirades at the chair umpire, constant racquet smashes on the hallowed Wimbledon turf, and was even called a “bully” and “evil” by defeated opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas. Kyrgios is rude and crude, but he does bring excitement to a rather stuffy sport that can use some excitement now and then.
Nadal had a much tougher time getting into the semis, as he pulled off a gruelling five-set victory over Taylor Fritz that was as tough as they come. Nadal was suffering from abdominal pain throughout the entire match, and even looked like he was ready to quit at certain points.
However, he prevailed to the delight of the crowd (and probably the annoyance of Fritz) to pick up one of the best recent victories of his illustrious career. Nadal didn’t play with the usual energy and precision we know him for, but he still adjusted his game to put as little pressure on his abdomen as possible. It’s the mark of a true champion to cling to a win at the jaws of defeat.
Nadal and Kyrgios have met several times before, and each match was as tantalising as you can imagine. Nadal is up 6-3 in the matchups, but we have to say that this 10th meeting is Kyrgios’ best chance to advance to the Wimbledon finals. He’s absolutely on form, doesn’t care about pressure, and with Nadal’s injury, one has to wonder if Kyrgios’ speed and agility will be too much.
Nadal has won the French Open and Australian Open this year, so it’s not like he’s out of form by any means, but all signs are pointing to a Kyrgios win. With 22 Grand Slam titles, it would be hard to feel sorry for Nadal, but he’s such a crowd favourite and it would seem especially hard to see him go when he’s played through the abdominal injury.
Djokovic vs. Norrie
The next men’s semi will be Serbian Novak Djokovic taking on Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
Both players needed to play their best to reach the semis by fighting through intense five-set matches. Djokovic even lost the first two sets against Jannik Sinner, but rallied back for the next three to a frenzied Wimbledon crowd.
Djokovic, who was beaten by Nadal in the French Open quarter-finals recently, will be looking for his only possible Grand Slam trophy of the year.
He wasn’t allowed to play in the Australian Open, nor will he be permitted at the US Open, due to both countries specifying the need for a COVID-19 vaccine upon entry. Djokovic is famously against getting the vaccination and won’t change his stance any time soon.
9th seed, Cameron Norrie, has the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, as he will be looking to be the first male to win Wimbledon since Andy Murray in 2016. Norrie certainly has the will and the ability, as his powerful forehand and relentless drive are formidable assets on the biggest tennis stage. Plus, he’s got the home crowd on his side.
Despite that, Djokovic’s six Wimbledon titles (most recently in 2021) means he knows the grass courts well and will be fighting mad to get to another final. He’s in some of the best shape of his career and it’s unlikely to see him lose against Norrie.
Will the British Royal Family be cheering on Norrie from the stands? That certainly wouldn’t hurt to see Her Majesty throwing her hands in the air like she just doesn’t care after a Norrie point, but something tells us that’s unlikely. Prince William has attended some matches, so he should turn up at the semi-final.
For the women’s competition, the two Wimbledon semi-finals will take place on Thursday 7th July.
Rybakina vs. Halep
The first matchup will be Simona Halep against Elena Rybakina, and despite neither name being household just yet, there is still a lot of buzz about the contest.
Halep (16th seed) and Rybakina (17th seed) are quite evenly matched at the moment, with similar crafty and explosive playing styles that are bound to delight the Wimbledon crowd.
As of now, however, Halep has looked like the stronger tennis player and is marked as the favourite by most of the bookmakers. That’s not to say that Rybakina has no shot at all, but Halep’s stellar play throughout Wimbledon is giving her a slight advantage.
Halep has already won a title at Wimbledon and the French Open before, so she’s familiar with the big stage and is playing with a fierce determination that we’ve rarely seen from a female competitor.
Rybakina has shown great resilience in Wimbledon already, fighting back multiple times against higher-seeded opponents, and she is an absolute master on grass surfaces. She will have to rely on her powerful shot and lightning-quick serve if she has any chance against Halep. Still, this is Halep’s match to lose and we see her advancing to the finals.
Ons Jabeur vs. Tatjana Maria
The second matchup for the women will be Ons Jabeur against Tatjana Maria. As of now, the focus seems to be on Jabeur to advance, as she’s young at 27 years old and is quickly gaining the hearts and minds of the Wimbledon crowd.
Maria is experienced and still in her prime at 34 years old, but she barely made the semis and is making way too many unforced errors in the build-up to the semis. The two players actually know each other well and this could certainly help in the long run, as they must be familiar with one another’s games.
We’re going with Jabeur to reach the Wimbledon final as of now, as she’s just playing too darn good.
Weekend of the Wimbledon finals
The women’s singles final will be played on Saturday July 9th, while the men’s singles final will be on Sunday 10th.
The most likely matchups are as follows:
Men’s: Novak Djokovic vs. Nick Kyrgios
Women’s: Ons Jabeur vs. Simona Halep
As interesting as it would be to see Kyrgios pick up his first Grand Slam win, there is little doubt that it’s going to be another Djokovic title to add to his collection. As it will certainly be his last chance at a major trophy in 2022, Djokovic is going to come out with fire in his eyes.
We like Kyrgios’ playing style, even if he can be way overbearing at times with his behaviour, but even if he won’t win Wimbledon this time around, it shows promise for his future and he’ll almost certainly pick up a couple of Grand Slam victories before his tennis career is complete.
The women’s final is much harder to call, as Halep and Jabeur are equally matched and have the “my time” quality that tennis players need to have to earn the trophy.
The outcome most of us believe is that Halep will win her third Grand Slam trophy against Jabuer at Wimbledon 2022, but it won’t come easy at all. This one could go long into the third set with a tiebreaker, and Halep will earn a lot of deserved praise at the end of it all.
Author: Joe Garland
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