Wimbledon Final Predictions – Berrettini vs Djokovic

It’s time for the last two days of Wimbledon 2021 and here are my Wimbledon Final Predictions for Berrettini vs Djokovic.

The semi-finals on the men’s side went pretty much as expected (the women’s semi-finals are detailed here), but I must applaud Shapovalov because he came out all guns blazing, taking no prisoners, playing awesome attacking tennis. Shapo has a tendency to make you really excited about his game and then, sometimes, when the going gets tough, he starts spraying a bit. It’s a shame. His talent is undeniable and I think he was pretty much the better player on the court yesterday because Djokovic looked a bit off his game, but Djokovic is the best in the world at winning the important points and that’s what he did yesterday. This is what makes him so good and why my Wimbledon Final Predictions are pretty easy to make.

Shapovalov was visibly upset after his 6-7 5-7 5-7 loss and I understand why. He had plenty of break points and chances to win this match. He had an easy forehand in the first set to get a set point, but he missed it long. He took one out of 11 break point opportunities and his serve started misfiring at the end of each set. This is what he said afterward:

“I think what hurt so much this time was just that I felt like the game is there and it’s possible to go and play for the trophy,” Shapovalov said. “It’s a feeling I’ve never had before, so that’s why it just hurt so much. I felt like I was outplaying Novak in parts of the match. If you’re outplaying Novak, you can beat anyone. 

“It just hurt a lot…  It’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of mental fatigue. Like, it all kind of spilled out on the court before I could control myself.”

The positive thing is that this is something to build on for Shapovalov. He is only 22 years old and has already shown he has what it takes to play for the big titles.

Forza Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini has been my pick to reach the finals all along and he has dealt with pressure impressively well. He played his persistent brand of power tennis against Hurkacz and did a demolition job in the first two sets: 6-3 6-0. Hurkacz looked a little out of sorts, perhaps some kind of hangover after beating Federer in the round before. But then the Polish Masters winner started playing a bit better while Berrettini dropped his level and Hurkacz managed to take the third set. Was the match turning?

What Berrettini has shown throughout this tournament is his Forza attitude. He is pumped and focused and has found a way to combine these two things into a fierce tennis gladiator. He came back into the fourth set like he was on a mission. And he ended up winning it 6-4, putting himself into the first grand slam final of his career.

Can Berrettini beat Djokovic? It’s the tallest order in tennis. Is there a twist in the tale of the stars in the tennis galaxy? Is this where the Empire strikes back? I don’t know. Somewhere in my stomach, I have a feeling that Berrettini might win. It’s something about sports surprising you in the most unpredictable ways. You can never script life and maybe that’s we shouldn’t take for granted that Djokovic, the best competitor the sport has ever seen, will win the 2021 Wimbledon Final without problems.

I think Berrettini will make it the closest match of the tournament. I have a feeling that he might win, but all my rationale and logic tell me it’s Djokovic who is going to make it 20. Let’s hope it turns into the match it deserves.

Do you think Berrettini has a chance?