Swiatek vs. Svitolina, Pegula vs. Vondrousova, Djokovic vs. Rublev: Three to See, Wimbledon Quarterfinals

It Is What It Is: Jessica Pegula Reacts To "World's Richest Tennis Player" Title

Iga Swiatek vs. Elina Svitolina

With their simultaneous three-set wins on Centre Court and No. 1 Court, these two turned Middle Sunday into an electric viewing affair. Both lost the first set and then rallied, Svitolina in especially dramatic fashion, 11-9 in a third-set tiebreaker against Victoria Azarenka.

What will they do for an encore? The tension might not be quite as thick for Svitolina; instead of facing a Belarusian, she’ll be up against a Pole who has a tiny Ukraine flag pinned to her hat. But the stakes will be even higher as both women draw closer to a potential first Wimbledon title. The thought of winning that title for Ukraine will surely be motivating enough for Svitolina.

She’ll need everything she has against the world No. 1. Swiatek seems to be more self-assured on grass than ever, and after escaping Belinda Bencic on Sunday, she has taken a test and passed it. She’s 1-0 against Svitolina, though that match happened two years ago on clay. Svitolina, who is still in comeback mode after missing most of last season, was good enough to make the quarters at Roland Garros, but not good enough to beat her highly-ranked opponent, Aryna Sabalenka, in that round. I wonder if the same thing will be true here. Swiatek hits everything Svitolina does, but just a little bit harder. Winner: Swiatek

Jessica Pegula vs. Marketa Vondrousova

Looking back, Pegula’s lack of success at Wimbledon—she had never been past the third round before this year—should have been a surprise. Her low-lining ground strokes and ability to absorb pace ought to serve her well on grass. They finally have this year; while she has yet to face a seed, she has only dropped one set on her way to the quarterfinals.

Vondrousova isn’t seeded, either, and she had never been past the second round at Wimbledon before. But she has been to a Roland Garros final, and we know the quality and trickiness or her drop-shot-heavy game. She has also been a bit more sternly tested so far, having beaten three seeds, Donna Vekic, Veronika Kudermetova, and Marie Bouzkova.

Pegula and Vondrousova have never played, and their style should make for an interesting clash and contrast. The American will hit with flat depth, while the Czech will try to disrupt her steady rhythm with lefty spin and finesse. I’m going to guess the latter will succeed. Winner: Vondrousova

Novak Djokovic vs. Andrey Rublev

“Ah, Grand Slam quarterfinal, we meet again.” Is that what will be going through Andrey Rublev’s mind as he walks on court on Tuesday? The Russian has played eight quarters at majors, and he has lost every one. That includes three within the last 13 months. Judging by the recent scores, he’s not getting any closer. He lost in five sets to Marin Cilic at Roland Garros last year; three fairly close sets to Frances Tiafoe at the US Open; and three not very close sets to Novak Djokovic at this year’s Australian Open.

Unfortunately for Rublev, his ninth Slam quarter will also come against Djokovic, in a tournament where he’s the four-time defending champion. Is there any reason to hope for a better result? Rublev has beaten Djokovic, on clay last spring. More important, Djokovic will come in having played two sets the previous day, while Rublev had a day off. And Rublev may still be riding the high of his stunning final-game forehand save that won him a marathon five-setter over Alexander Bublik on Sunday. But it still seems unlikely that it will make Rublev believe he can beat Djokovic here, too. Winner: Djokovic