Wimbledon Quarterfinal Previews: Rybakina vs. Svitolina, Djokovic vs. De Minaur, Fritz vs. Musetti

Elena Rybakina vs. Elina Svitolina

A year ago at Wimbledon, taking inspiration from her role as a representative of war-ravaged Ukraine, Svitolina beat Iga Swiatek and made the semifinals. Over the past week, she has thrust herself back in the same role. Donning a black ribbon after a recent Russian attack on a Kyiv hospital, Svitolina has rallied to play her best tennis of the season so far, beating two-time finalist Ons Jabeur and dropping just one set in four matches.

To keep going, Svitolina will likely need to dig even deeper. With Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff out, Rybakina has inherited the mantle as the tournament favorite. She’s the highest-ranked player left in the draw, and the only one who has won Wimbledon. She’s also ranked 17 spots higher than Svitolina.

WATCH: Elina Svitolina delivers stirring remarks for Ukraine on court at Wimbledon

The Kazakh and the Ukrainian are 2-2 lifetime; Rybakina won their most recent meeting, 6-4, 6-3, at Roland Garros a month ago. That win came on clay, and grass should help her her superior serve and all-around power even more.

“She strikes the ball very big,” Svitolina says of Rybakina. “I think it’s quite obvious that she has a big serve. She tries to take on straightaway with the big shots from the baseline….That’s what I will expect and try to make her feel uncomfortable.”

More so than her tactics, it will be the emotions that Svitolina brings to Centre Court that will be key in this match. They were enough to get her across the finish line against Swiatek last year, but it might be an even tougher ask against this opponent, at this tournament. Winner: Rybakina

Novak Djokovic vs. Alex de Minaur

For two guys who have been on tour together for nearly a decade, we haven’t seen much of this matchup. Djokovic and De Minaur have played just three times; the Serb has won twice, the Australian once.

Speed will be a theme of their quarterfinal on Wednesday. Djokovic has always had plenty, and few players today have more than De Minaur. In their pre-match remarks, each took turns complimenting the other’s quickness. De Minaur called Djokovic a “supreme mover,” and Djokovic responded by saying of the Aussie, “He’s always had that incredible defense and really crafty hands on all the surfaces, particularly the quicker ones.”

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But if De Minaur, at 25, has a slight edge in that department over a 37-year-old Djokovic, the advantage is reversed in just about every other aspect of the game. Djokovic has the better serve, and, most important of all, the heavier ground strokes.

De Minaur has come a long way over the past 12 months, but I don’t think he has the weapons needed to beat Djokovic in best-of-five, in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, at a moment when he seems to have rounded into top form. Winner: Djokovic

Taylor Fritz vs. Lorenzo Musetti

Musetti is certainly in the running for the most under-the-radar success of the fortnight. Known more as a clay-courter than a grass-courter, he has nevertheless reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. In his first five matches, he didn’t make an appearance in either of the two biggest arenas, and he didn’t face a seeded opponent.

The Italian’s stealth run will end on Wednesday, when he plays the 13th-seeded Fritz on Court 1. The American owns a 2-1 record against him, which includes a straight-set, first-round win at Wimbledon in 2022. Fritz will be favored again this time. This is his fourth Slam quarterfinal, and second at this tournament. Musetti won’t be able to match Fritz’s serving prowess, and his one-handed backhand may make it harder for him to break.

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“The key is always going to be serving well and returning well,” Fritz says. “I feel like if I do those two things well, then I like my chances.Luckily for me, it should hypothetically be easier to return serve than it was [in his fourth-round match against Alexander Zverev].”

Still, Fritz acknowledges that Musetti, with his smooth mix of spins, will be “tricky.” He’s had a good grass season, making the final at Queen’s and the semis in Stuttgart.

Another wild card will be Fritz’s nerves. In his previous Grand Slam quarterfinals, he has faced Novak Djokovic twice and Rafael Nadal once. How will he react to being the favorite for the first time? Winner: Fritz