But what the quarter-finals lack in top seeds, they make up for in Major singles championships. There are 26 in total, with Serena Williams of course holding the vast majority. These quarter-final matches also feature eight of the fiercest competitors on tour, all with different strengths and styles which result in four distinct and intriguing matchups. And as a bonus on Tuesday, Juan Martin Del Potro will complete his fourth round match against Gilles Simon, where he was up two-sets-to-one before play was suspended due to darkness.
Angelique Kerber vs. Daria Kasatkina
This will be the first match of the day on Centre Court, and is a rematch from just 15 days ago on the grass of Eastbourne. That quarter-final was a tense battle that went to a third set tiebreak, which Kerber won 7-3. Overall they’ve split their six career meetings, with the balance all taking place on hard courts. For Kerber, this is her third straight Major quarter-final. Kasatkina is in her second consecutive one, after getting to her first Major quarter-final last month in Paris. It’s been a breakout year for the 21-year-old Russian, who beat two top 10 players to make the final in Dubai, and three top 10 players to reach the final at Indian Wells. Kerber’s also had a strong year with consistent results, landing her in fourth place in the year-to-date rankings. Both players’ games are extremely pleasant to watch, and often create complex rallies. Pair that with the confidence they both have right now, and this match could be special. Kerber is the more accomplished player, with much more experience on big stages like this, especially on Centre Court. Her recent victory over Kasatkina on grass will be fresh in her mind, and may help her get through this tough opponent. But this match could go either way, and will likely be another extended, tight contest.
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Dominika Cibulkova
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Remember how I mentioned fierce competitors? Well two of the fiercest will open the day’s schedule on No.1 Court. Neither of these players were on anyone’s radar going into this fortnight, yet both are yet to drop a set in this tournament. Ostapenko has cited Wimbledon as her favorite tournament. Jelena was the 2014 junior champion at Wimbledon, and also made the quarterfinals here just last year. She’s playing with a lot more freedom with the defense of her 2017 Roland Garros title behind her. Cibulkova is playing her best tennis since her career-best title at the 2016 WTA Finals. This is her third quarterfinal at SW19, and a victory today for either player will find them in their first Wimbledon semifinal. Cibulkova has won both of their previous matches, including on grass in 2016 at Eastbourne. But I have a feeling Ostapenko may notch her first victory over Cibulkova on this day. Her huge groundstrokes are extremely effective on the grass, and the higher ball bounces this year give Jelena more time to set up her shots. And it doesn’t hurt that no one’s been talking about Ostapenko’s chances of winning this title, as it alleviates a lot of pressure. If Dominika is going to prevail, her superior defensive skills may be the deciding factor. Either way, neither player is likely to hand the victory to the other. This quarterfinal should be another good one.
Serena Williams vs. Camila Giorgi
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In the second match of the day on Centre Court, the 23-time Major singles champion will face one of the only players on tour who hits the ball as hard as she does. Giorgi’s go-for-broke philosophy can have very different results from match-to-match, but she’s been on a lot more than she’s been off thus far in this tournament. Wimbledon has been the most successful Grand Slam event in the career of the 26-year-old Italian. She made her first Major round of 16 here in 2012, and is now into her first quarterfinal. Giorgi is fully capable of outhitting Serena Williams, though she’s also capable of littering the stat sheet with errors. The biggest challenge for Giorgi will be to execute her high-risk game on this stage, and against this opponent. Centre Court is a place where Serena has a huge experience edge. And in contrast to Camila, this is Serena’s 48th Major quarterfinal, and her 13th at Wimbledon. Williams is still not back to her best form, but she’s playing smart, composed tennis. Serena is yet to drop a set in this fortnight, and has never dropped a set against Giorgi in three meetings. The GOAT is the favorite to advance here.
Julia Goerges vs. Kiki Bertens
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Here are two players who have rather quietly compiled strong results over the past year. Goerges won three straight titles between the end of 2017 and the start of this year, but had never found success at a Major. After going 0-5 in the fourth round of Grand Slam events, she finally broke through yesterday, and is into her first Major quarterfinal at the age of 29. Goerges hit 41 aces through her first four rounds. It’s surprising she’s never done better at Wimbledon considering her big-serving game. In fact, prior to this year, she had lost in the first round of The Championships five years in a row. Likewise, Bertens had a losing record at Wimbledon heading into this tournament, but is into her first quarterfinal after consecutive upsets of two top 10 seeds, Venus Williams and Karolina Pliskova. This will be a rematch from the Charleston final earlier this year. Bertens won that encounter, as well as their other previous match, though both were on clay. That surface has been very kind to Bertens in the last few years. Since May of 2016, Kiki has four titles and a Roland Garros semifinal to her name on clay. In theory, the grass should favor Goerges. The difference here will be who is more prepared to handle this moment. Though she’s the lower-ranked player, Bertens is the one who has been in a Major quarterfinal before. In addition, she’s already played on No.1 Court during this fortnight, while all of Goerges’ matches have been on outer courts. Kiki’s level of comfort and confidence may be enough to land her in her second Major semifinal.
Selected order of play
CENTRE COURT – SHOW COURT – 13:00 START
1 Daria Kasatkina (RUS) [14] 48 vs Angelique Kerber (GER) [11] 49
2 Serena Williams (USA) [25] 104 vs Camila Giorgi (ITA) 119
3 Raven Klaasen (RSA) / Michael Venus (NZL) [13] 8 vs Jamie Murray (GBR) / Bruno Soares (BRA) [5] 16
No.1 COURT – SHOW COURT – 13:00 START
1 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 12 vs Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) [12] 17
2 Kiki Bertens (NED) [20] 73 vs Julia Goerges (GER) [13] 81
3 Robin Haase (NED) / Robert Lindstedt (SWE) 39 vs Dominic Inglot (GBR) / Franko Skugor (CRO) [15] 41
No.2 COURT – SHOW COURT – 11:30 START
1 Richard Krajicek (NED) / Mark Petchey (GBR) vs Patrick McEnroe (USA) / Jeff Tarango (USA) (OD)
NOT BEFORE 13.00
2 Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) [5] 97 vs Gilles Simon (FRA) 107 T/F 7/6(1) 7/6(5) 5/7 0/0
3 Ben McLachlan (JPN) / Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) [14] 24 vs Frederik Nielsen (DEN) / Joe Salisbury (GBR) 28
4 Na Li (CHN) / Ai Sugiyama (JPN) vs Tracy Austin (USA) / Anne Keothavong (GBR) (SL)
