TennisSection previews the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as Aryna Sabalenka (2) meets Karolina Pliskova (8) in the Semi-Finals on Thursday July 8th, 2021.
A blockbuster Semi-Final is expected here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as second seeded Aryna Sabalenka faces eighth seed Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the Final here at the All-England Club. Sabalenka is seeking her first Grand Slam Final appearance while the Czech is aiming for her second, so there is a lot up for grabs here. Every time that they have faced each other it has been a battle, and this is expected to be no different here at Wimbledon. Who will hold their nerves and advance to the Final?
Aryna Sabalenka is currently ranked #4 on the WTA Tour and is seeded #2 here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The Belarusian star has been one of the most consistent players on the Tour over the past few seasons but is yet to translate that success into the Majors. That has changed however, as she is now in her first Grand Slam Semi-Final here at Wimbledon. She has been impressive throughout; dominating her opponents from the baseline, most notably in her straight-sets win over the in-form Ons Jabeur in a match many predicted would have been very close. She enters this match against Karolina Pliskova as the very slight favorite, but will have to be at her absolute best to get the win here against her more experienced opponent, who has been at this stage at a Grand Slam before.
Karolina Pliskova is the eighth seed here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and is ranked #13 on the WTA Tour. The former world number one has been in a serious slump over the past few seasons, but is seemingly back to her best here at Wimbledon and has played some dominant tennis so far. The Czech star has absolutely blitzed through the draw so far, and is yet to drop a set the entire tournament. In the Quarter-Finals, she cruised past Viktorija Golubic in just over an hour, hitting eight aces and hitting 28 winners in a lopsided 6-2, 6-2 victory. While she is considered the slight underdog here against Aryna Sabalenka, I consider this match dead even due to the Czech’s superior experience on the WTA Tour. If she is able to be fully focused throughout she has an excellent chance to advance to the Final here at Wimbledon.
This will be the third meeting between the two players on the WTA Tour, with Sabalenka leading the head to head series 2-0. Very interestingly, both times that they played were extremely close, with the Belarusian winning 7-5 and 7-6 in the third set. I expect this to be no different, and two of the biggest hitters on Tour will do battle here at Wimbledon for a spot in the Final. They have both been impressive here, but I give the edge to Karolina Pliskova in terms of form as she is yet to drop a set. Despite this, Aryna Sabalenka has the slightly bigger upside, and if things are clicking for her she should be able to overpower her opponent. This certainly will go the distance yet again, and I am giving the edge to the Belarusian. She is hell-bent on reaching her first Grand Slam Final and has been in much better form lately. Pliskova’s experience will keep it close, but I am expecting Sabalenka to win a tight one here, advancing to her first Major Final here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in three sets
Want more Free Tennis Picks from our Experts? Check out our latest Tennis Predictions now!
Join TopCourt now to learn from some of the best tennis players in the world! Find out exclusive 14-day FREE-trial here!
