Wimbledon 2022 looks likely to serve up two great finals and we have predicted which way both the men's and women's will go.
Elena Rybakina vs Ons Jabeur
The 2022 women’s singles tournament heads to a crescendo on Saturday, with Ons Jabeur of Tunisia taking on Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
These two are very different players with Jabeur employing a lot of variety in her game and is very comfortable on all court surfaces. Rybakina, on the other hand, has a big serve and can generate effortless power from both wings playing with high risk on the majority of points.
That contrast in styles has led to very close matches in their previous head to heads where all three of them have gone to a final set. Both players have won one match each in that series, with Rybakina retiring in their most recent meeting in Chicago at the end of last year.
All of those meetings have been on hard courts and the switch to grass marginally favours the Kazakh as she hits the ball so flat and her ability to win easy points from her serve. Jabeur though has one of the best drop-shots in the women’s game and that shot is crucial for a player like her to be effective on grass.
Rybakina comes into this match as the 13/10 underdog with Jabeur the favourite at 4/6. I think the Kazakh represent more value in the win market but it’s the total sets line that appeals and I’m backing this match to go over 2.5 sets at 7/5.
Novak Djokovic vs Nick Kyrgios
The men’s final is a very interesting match-up between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios. Especially when you consider the Australian has never lost to Djokovic or even lost a set.
That stat is slightly misleading though because the two have only played twice on the ATP Tour. Both of those matches were in 2017 in what was one of Djokovic’s worse years of his career and hampered by injury.
Taking this match in isolation, the Serb is nothing like any of the other players Kyrgios has beaten at Wimbledon 2022 and the greatest returner of all time will exert constant pressure on the Australian’s serve.
Kyrgios has not played a semi-final and I think that will upset his rhythm somewhat in a match where pressure points will likely decide the outcome.
There’s no doubt that Kyrgios could get under Djokovic’s skin, particularly with that winning head-to-head record and I do think he’ll win a set.
I expect Djokovic’s mental strength and relentless will to win to come to the fore though and that’s why I’m backing him to emerge victorious with both players winning a set at 29/20.
