The All England Club moves into its second week as Day 7 at Wimbledon provides us with four women looking to punch their spot in the quarterfinals. A loaded slate is on deck, paced by No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina squaring off against No. 17 seed Anna Kalinskaya. As always, we at LWOT have roundtable predictions for all Grand Slam action. Jordan Reynolds, Andreas Pelekis, and Liam McBride offer their insights.
Wimbledon Day 8 Women’s Predictions
Jelena Ostapenko vs Yulia Putintseva
Jordan
Putintseva stunning Iga Swiatek understandably got a lot of attention, but Ostapenko was also very good against Bernarda Pera in the last round. At her best, the Latvian is hard for anyone to stop. Nonetheless, I am still backing Putintseva to reach the quarterfinal. Not just because of her excellent form, but her craftiness and variety is an ideal style for disrupting Ostapenko’a power.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Andreas
Remember the 2016 China Open? These two first met in that WTA 1000 tournament and engaged in a frosty handshake after an intense battle. Neither player will want to lose this one, and expect an intense match of contrasting styles. Ostapenko has only lost 10 games this tournament, and while Puntiseva is full of confidence after beating Iga Swiatek, it may be tough to replicate such a great performance on Monday.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Liam
Two of the in-form players face off. Ostapenko would have been licking her lips at the prospect of facing Iga Swiatek on a grass court; however, instead, she comes up against a full-of-confidence Putintseva on an eight-match winning streak after lifting the Birmingham title. It will be a clash of styles with the all-out attack nature of Ostapenko and the variety that Putintseva brings, such as the backhand slices that Swiatek couldn’t counter. It’s the Latvian, though, who will continue her blistering start to SW 19.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Danielle Collins vs Barbora vs Krejcikova
Jordan
Collins will win this match if she produces her best tennis consistently enough. . She was unplayable at times during her victory in the last round against Beatriz Haddad Maia, although there were also a couple of looser spells from her as well. Krejcikova has a strong and complete game. But the way Collins has been playing when her game is firing, she could be set for a very deep run in her final Wimbledon appearance.
Prediction: Collins in 2
Andreas
Collins checked off another milestone achievement in her final season on tour on Saturday; she’s now reached the second week of all four Grand Slams. Meanwhile, Krejcikova is incredibly dangerous when in form, as she seems to be bringing her best form to 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. Look for the American to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in a close one.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Liam
Two of the top backhands on the tour face off against each other. One of these women will reach the quarter-final despite grass being comfortably their worst surface. Krejcikova has equaled her best run at Wimbledon, while Collins has bettered hers. Unlike the previous clash a similar overall style will lead to many long rallies grinded out at the baseline. Ultimately, it’ll come down to who does it better, Collins will edge it.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Elina Svitolina vs Wang Xinyu
Jordan
Wang, who narrowly overcame Harriet Dart on Saturday, will need to produce the outstanding level she reached against Jessica Pegula in the second round to have a realistic chance. Svitolina’s level was terrific against Ons Jabeur, especially in the first set. I trust the Ukrainian to bring her best game more consistently than Wang to win in straight sets.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Andreas
Battling past the grass-court enthusiast Ons Jabeur will allow Svitolina to rest the slightest bit, but Wang should be a tough fourth-round test. Wang has won all of her Wimbledon matches in deciding sets, featuring multiple comebacks and a first WTA Top 10 win. The Ukranian should be able to wear down Wang with her consistent groundstrokes, but it could go either way if Svitolina starts off nervous early on.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Liam
Svitolina seems to be backing up last year’s semi-final run as she took apart two-time finalist Ons Jabeur. Her consistency from the back of the court was a sight to behold, and ultimately, she was able to frustrate the Tunisian into making a series of errors. Wang has edged through the last three rounds and was extremely impressive in taking out world number #5 Jessica Pegula. It will be the Chinese woman who continues her run of long-distance victories to cause a minor upset.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Elena Rybakina vs Anna Kalinskaya
Jordan
Kalinskaya has not dropped a set yet at Wimbledon, although she will need to play better here than against Liudmila Samsonova, who seriously struggled against Kalinskaya. Rybakina will be tough for anyone to stop if she serves as well as her last match against Caroline Wozniacki. Kalinskaya can match or, even better, Rybakina from the baseline, but I am not sure she will be able to get into enough rallies to have a chance of winning.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Andreas
With Swiatek knocked out of the tournament, Rybakina is arguably the odds favorite to win Wimbledon for the second time in her career. Kalinskaya will be a tough test though, as she’s yet to drop a set during the first three rounds. Rybakina will have to defend her service games, while Kalinskaya will have to angle her shots well to move Rybakina around the court, especially as the Kazakh’s movement isn’t stellar on the grass courts. Expecting a close one here.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Liam
With this clash it’s all about what Rybakina turns up, the match is on her racket. In the past year, we have seen fitness or illness issues get the best of her, but as she proved against Wozniacki in the third round, when she reaches her top level on grass, no one can live with her. Kalinskaya has been in blistering form, not dropping a set all tournament; however, she will be bullied by the monstrous Kazakhstani groundstrokes.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports