A few years after her breakthrough to the top of the Tour, Barbora Krejcikova is back in a Major semifinal, this time at Wimbledon. Does she have what it takes to knock out former champion Elena Rybakina? Our writers share their thoughts on the match. Predictiong this match are Ateet Shrivastava, Andreas Pelekis, Jordan Reynolds, Nurein Ahmed, and Ryan Schick. We also have predictions for the other semifinal, between Jasmine Paolini and Donna Vekic, in a separate article. Who do you think will win?
Wimbledon Semifinal Prediction
Elena Rybakina vs Barbora Krejcikova
Ateet:
Rybakina played a terrific match against Elina Svitolina and is back in the Wimbledon semifinals. She was hitting her backhand exceptionally and the return of serve completely broke Svitolina. If she can hold it mentally and physically, she is the favourite to win it all. Barbora Krejcikova has gone under the radar but she is playing her best tennis in a long time and what a time to find that form. She served great and played a smart match against Jelena Ostapenko. Rybakina has the firepower while Krejcikova has the variety and defense to counter it. Rybakina has never beaten Krejcikova and I expect her to do it.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Andreas:
Rybakina’s 6-3 6-2 win over Elina Svitolina was impressive, with the 2022 Wimbledon Champion using her big serve to her advantage. She won 85% of first serve points and hit 7 aces in a match that barely lasted over an hour. Krejčíková showed off her defense in her quarterfinal win over Jeļena Ostapenko, neutralizing Ostapenko’s flat and powerful groundstrokes with her intriguing slice. The Czech also has the bigger strengths at the net, and she can create great angles because of her skills on the doubles court. Rybakina will be the favorite if she continues to serve big and doesn’t allow Krejčíková to get into rallies. Otherwise, it could be a battle to the finish.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Jordan:
Rybakina looked pretty unstoppable in the quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina, who had been playing very well heading into the match. The one source of hope for Krejcikova is that she did an excellent job defusing the big-hitting Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko in the previous two rounds. The Czech will need to hit her serve and slice off both wings terrifically to have a realistic chance. But it is tough to bet against Rybakina, whose power is likely to be executed more consistently than Krejcikova’s previous opponents.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Nurein:
Elena Rybakina is the highest-ranked woman remaining in the draw and she was instilled as the heavy favorite right from the fourth-round stage. She has been unflappable will take some stopping. Barbora Krejcikova deserves a lot of credit for getting her season back on track after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. And it’s not by accident. The Czech is one of the smartest tacticians on tour and used her box of tricks to neutralize Jelena Ostapenko’s power. She’ll need to use the same blueprint here if she wants to reach a maiden Wimbledon final. Ultimately, I think she will fall short as Rybakina’s baseline power is more refined.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Ryan:
Rybakina looked nearly flawless in her quarterfinal against Svitolina. While Krejcikova knows how to win big matches, she doesn’t match up well with Rybakina on grass. Rybakina’s huge serve and great shotmaking will help her cruise to the final.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
