It’s the final weekend of Wimbledon 2022 (day 12) and Alex Mann is here with his remaining semi-final predictions.
Wimbledon 2022 Day 12 Predictions
It was an eventful day on and off the court at SW19. Centre Court saw the women’s semi-finals take place, with Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina defeating Tatjana Maria and Simona Halep, respectively, to reach their first major final.
Jabeur powered through Maria in a thrilling match, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. The long-time friends went toe-to-toe in a match full of slick slices, devastating drop shots and excellent angles.
After a strong start from Jabeur, which saw her variety on full display, Maria dug in deep in the second and began to unload her forehand. As the match went to a third set, a consistent and errorless Jabeur went full steam ahead, motoring through her service games and breaking Maria’s serve to reach the Wimbledon final.
A warm embrace at the net between the pair signaled the end of Maria’s fairy-tale run to her first major semi-final, 15 years after her major debut. Jabeur orchestrated the crowd to give Maria a round of applause in the middle of the court before she walked off.
The Tunisian then deservingly received her cheers from the crowd as she became the first Arab player to reach a major final.
Rybakina played the match of her life to defeat the 2019 Wimbledon Champion and arguably the favorite for the title this year, Simona Halep, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Rybakina’s serve and groundstrokes were on fire, hitting through Halep and making her miss. A few double faults from the Romanian allowed Rybakina to take some early breaks in both sets. Although Halep showed her fighting spirit and returning prowess, she could not break through the big-hitting Kazakh.
With the win, Rybakina became the first Kazak tennis player to reach a major final.
This will be an intriguing final, and I will be back tomorrow with predictions on the match.
It was a sad day for Rafael Nadal off the court as he announced his withdrawal from his semi-final match against Nick Kyrgios. A 7mm tear in his abdomen, sustained during his emphatic win over Taylor Fritz, has left him unable to play.
Kyrgios was given a walkover, reaching his first major final. We wish Rafa all the best and hope to see him soon!
Centre Court
Novak Djokovic (1) vs Cameron Norrie (9)
Can Norrie upset the odds and defeat the 3-time defending champion, Novak Djokovic, in front of a home crowd? This will be a challenging task for Norrie, hoping to become the first British man since Andy Murray in 2016 to reach the Wimbledon final. Norrie showed grit and determination to beat an inspired Goffin in five sets. The Brit wasn’t at his best but dug in deep to win. Djokovic was also not at his best, coming from two sets down to defeat Jannik Sinner.
Norrie is the underdog in this match so he should play freely. His lefty forehand can do damage and his relentless hitting will make Djokovic work until the last point. Having said this, the Serb is experienced with left-handers, especially against one named Rafael Nadal, so this won’t faze him. He will look to pressure Norrie, keeping the ball deep with his forehand and backhand and maybe bring him forward with a drop shot or two.
Norrie will need to have a strong start if he is going to challenge Novak. The Serb is an impeccable front-runner and could run away with the match if Norrie is inconsistent. I think Norrie will grab a set, just down to his hard work and belief, but Djokovic will reach another Wimbledon final.
Prediction – Djokovic in 4 sets
Due to Nadal’s withdrawal, two doubles matches have been scheduled on
Centre Court;
Barbora Krejcikova and Kate?ina Siniakova (2) vs Je?ena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok (4)
Ostapenko and Kichenok reached the semi-final of Eastbourne and have been playing exceptional doubles this year. However, Krejcikova and Siniakova won Wimbledon in 2018, and their experience will help them to win this match.
Prediction – Krejcikova and Siniakova in 3 sets
Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang (1) vs Desirae Krawczyk and Danielle Collins
The top seeds, Mertens and Zhang haven’t dropped a set and they will continue this against the American pair.
Prediction – Mertens and Zhang in 2 sets
