It promises to be an entertaining tenth day at the Championships. A place in the semifinals is on the line and all four players will no doubt be desperate to keep their hopes of winning glory on the hallowed lawns at the All England Club alive. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on day 10, including Elena Rybakina vs Elina Svitolina. But who will advance to Friday’s Wimbledon semifinals?
Wimbledon Quarterfinal Predictions
Lorenzo Musetti vs Taylor Fritz
Jim: Lorenzo Musetti did not seem like one to watch on the grass this year, but the Italian has exceeded expectations and then some. Will that be enough to take him past Taylor Fritz? If he plays his very best tennis, he can certainly hurt the American – with his forehand in particular a weapon to be feared. But as well as he has played, he has also had a relatively kind draw so far and Fritz is certainly the best grass-court player he has come up against so far. This might be where a dream run ends for the Queen’s finalist.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
Jordan: Musetti’s significantly improved return on grass, which he demonstrated against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the last round, will help him a lot here. Of course, Fritz’s overall game is also more imposing than Musetti’s last opponent. However, the Italian has been underestimated throughout this tournament, and many analysts are guilty of doing that again before this match. If he keeps hitting his serve and forehand as well as he has been, his athleticism and improved return could leave Fritz shocked here.
Prediction: Musetti in 4
Damian: Fritz has a remarkable chance to go as deep as ever at Wimbledon, but he almost went out to Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. He was eventually able to start moving the German a bit and test his knee injury though, playing a great fourth set tie-break to stay alive. Musetti in the quarterfinals is an opportunity he surely would have taken with no questions asked before the event, but the Italian has improved a lot on grass the past two years. He developed that dangerous, flat first serve and is using his variety to mess up the opponents. Big-hitters he can still struggle against though and if Fritz can serve well, he should be able to get enough quick points to be ok the front foot here.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
Ateet: Fritz made a miraculous comeback in his match against Alexander Zverev and will go into the quarterfinal as the favourite against Musetti. Fritz has never made the semifinals of a Grand Slam and he will like his chances to make his first here. Musetti played a great match against Mpetshi Perricard to reach his first Slam quarterfinal. Musetti returned exceptionally and won’t be fazed by the big serves of Fritz. Musetti handily defeated Fritz the last time they met, although it was on clay, whereas Fritz had the advantage on grass. Musetti can disrupt Fritz with his variety, but Fritz’s massive serve and groundstrokes will prove too much in the end.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
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Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur
Jim: The most significant challenge when playing Novak Djokovic is usually that there are no real spots in his game. He can defend superbly from both wins and hurt opponents from both wings. But he has looked half-a-step slow moving to his forehand all tournament – hardly a surprise after knee surgery scarcely a month ago. The challenge for Alex de Minaur will be to exploit that weakness, whilst managing his own (namely a slightly below-par serve and a comparative lack of power off the ground). Will the Australian be up to it? Possibly, but a Djokovic victory seems the likelier outcome.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Jordan: De Minaur’s run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals has received the least attention of any player in the tournament. But the Australian will provide stiff opposition to Djokovic. He has significantly improved the level of firepower in his game, which is an additional factor for the 24-time Grand Slam champion to contend with. Overall, Djokovic’s improved performance against Holger Rune makes me convinced enough to back the Serbian, but this could go the distance.
Prediction: Djokovic in 5
Damian: Rune against Djokovic was a disappointment as the Dane wasn’t even able to test the extent of the seven-time champion’s knee injury. The serving from Djokovic was incredible though and it helped him keep points nice and quick. De Minaur has joined the elite this year and has that playstyle which will require the Serbian to push himself a bit more off the ground. But we’ve seen this movie before, and the matchup is usually horrible for the underdog. De Minaur stepping up to the challenge is possible, but it’s not the expectation.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Ateet: Djokovic played the best match of his Wimbledon campaign against Rune, and this will give him a lot of confidence going into the quarterfinals. Alex de Minaur is also in great form and has lost just one set so far. He will put way more returns against Djokovic and greatly test his fitness and endurance. De Minaur has to be great behind his serve to have any chances in this match, be aggressive, and not let Djokovic control the points. Djokovic does everything better than de Minaur when he is at his best, but it will be interesting to see if he can bring his best level or not. I can’t go against the Serbian superstar here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports