Wimbledon moves to the men’s quarterfinals and so do our tennis picks. Novak Djokovic is out of the tournament, and so it’s a huge opportunity for Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and Milos Raonic to win the championship. Raonic plays an early quarterfinal against Sam Querrey, but we’ll look at the other three quarterfinals on the Wednesday card:
Lucas Pouille vs. Tomas Berdych
There is a definite and reasonable rationale for picking Pouille in this match. Pouille finished his fourth-round match on Monday, while Berdych played a late match which consumed four sets and was suspended due to darkness, only to be resumed on Tuesday. Pouille got a chance to regroup, and that’s something he needed. He played a third-round match against Juan Martin del Potro over the course of two days, on Saturday and Sunday. He pulled through that match, and then he had to play his fourth-round match on Monday. Pouille is playing great tennis, but he needed a day off on Tuesday, and he received it. He might own the best balance of being active and rested. He played his way into a rhythm, and then he got some down time on Tuesday. He could be sharp on Wednesday. If he is, Berdych – who needed five sets to beat Jiri Vesely in the fourth round – will have to play great.
However, for all the ways in which a Pouille pick is reasonable, Berdych is simply a much better player. He has a better serve and a better forehand. Pouille also beat del Potro because del Potro is rusty and not fully recovered from his wrist injuries – he’s healthy enough play, yes, but del Potro is not yet strong enough to hit a hard two-handed backhand. He was only able to hit a one-handed slice backhand, and Pouille took advantage of del Potro’s lack of power from his backhand wing.
Berdych has beaten better, stronger players en route to the quarterfinals. Alexander Zverev was a tough third-round opponent, and Jiri Vesely beat Dominic Thiem earlier in this Wimbledon tournament. He also beat Novak Djokovic months earlier this season. Berdych is the better player, and he’s made the quarterfinals of each Grand Slam tournament this year. He’s going to be able to prevail here, though not in straight sets. Take him with your tennis picks.
Pick: Berdych in four sets
Roger Federer vs. Marin Cilic
This is a dangerous match for a bettor. Federer is such a big name, and so many casual tennis fans expect him – at Wimbledon, his favorite tournament – to obviously have the answers on grass. However, Federer is still trying to slide into a rhythm following knee and back injuries that have interrupted his season and prevented him from gaining the match play he needs to be the player people recognize as “Roger Federer.”
Last year, Federer was supposed to make the Wimbledon final, and he did. In 2014, Federer was supposed to make the Wimbledon final, and he did. This is different. It’s not because Federer’s quality has dropped, but because his body is more frail. He has moved reasonably well in the first four rounds of this tournament and doesn’t seem to be in pain, but that’s not the same as being 100-percent fit and ready to play his best. Federer is still trying to find his way. He has not played tough opponents to this point in Wimbledon. Cilic is a tough opponent. He beat Federer in the 2014 U.S. Open semifinals and is serving extremely well at Wimbledon this year. It’s going to be a close match, but Federer is still rusty, and that’s going to matter. Cilic will win, so take him with your tennis picks.
Pick: Cilic in five sets
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Andy Murray
This is a match in which Tsonga has the serve and the groundstrokes to bother Murray, but Tsonga is so much more inconsistent than Murray. Tsonga could play one great set, but he’s not likely to be steady. Tsonga will probably serve three or four great games per set, but he often plays one sloppy service game per set, which is all Murray needs to win a bunch of 6-4 or 7-5 sets. Murray is the best player in the field in terms of current form. He should move to the semifinals, so he’s the better option for your tennis picks.
Pick: Murray in straight sets
