Wimbledon 2022, Semi Final, Friday, 08/07/2022
A semi-final at Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal is the underdog – and it’s not against Novak Djokovic? In fact, that’s exactly the exciting omens we’re up against in London on Friday afternoon
In my Kyrgios Nadal tip, I reveal why I would bet on both players winning sets.
First it was the foot, now it’s the gut. Rafael Nadal is plagued by aches and pains and one question: What will happen to the Wimbledon semi-final, can the Spaniard compete or will he have to withdraw with a heavy heart?
Even after his triumph at the French Open, it was not known for a long time whether he would travel to London at all. He did, but the problems remained. Already against Francisco Cerundolo and Ricardas Berankis he had to fight hard and survive a fourth set.
Afterwards, he was able to beat Lorenzo Sonego and Botic van de Zandschulp clearly, but in all four matches, his strength was so weak that the third set was by far the weakest.
In the quarter-finals he faced his first really strong opponent: Taylor Fritz, until then without losing a set. After four spectacular sets, the score was 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. The fifth set had to decide, and as expected, it went into a match tiebreak.
Nadal won this one, but he did not feel like celebrating afterwards. This match cost him more energy than he actually had. A match of absolute equals, which was won by the luckier of the two in the end.
The 36-year-old had to fight for almost four and a half hours, now it is a matter of getting the injury to the abdominal muscles under control. Nadal wants his first Wimbledon final since 2011!
“There is something more important than winning Wimbledon, that is health. Let’s see how it develops,” with these words Nadal addressed his fans after winning the quarter-final. Fact: It is still unclear whether he will be able to play on Friday.
Nadal knows exactly how to play against Nick Kyrgios. He leads 6:3 in the head-to-head comparison, but some matches were a long time ago. In Indian Wells a few months ago, the Spaniard won a brutally close match 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.
This time he is actually in the underdog role. Betano has Kyrgios at 1.65 to 2.30, so the bonus pays off with both singles bets. But is Kyrgios mentally strong enough to beat the old master?
The Australian is probably playing the best Grand Slam of his career, finally he has his nerves and emotions halfway under control. Of course, he can’t do without a show and a few outbursts, but he manages to keep the focus on the sporting side of things.
It’s hard to believe that he was already on the brink of elimination in his five-set win over Paul Jubb in the 1st round. This was followed by a demonstration of power against Filip Krajinovic and a 3:1 win against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In the round of 16 against Brandon Nakashima, Kyrgios was once again in the mood for a longer match, and in the end it was a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2. He obviously thought to himself afterwards: “Before the encounter with Rafael Nadal, I’d better make a real challenge.
No sooner said than done, Kyrgios beat Cristian Garin straight up 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. He fended off eight of nine break chances and that was the key to his success. The 27-year-old serves very well and his serve is his biggest weapon.
For the first time he has the chance to play a Grand Slam final. He is in top shape, which is another reason why the bookmakers have him as the favourite in the duel with Nadal.
Will Rafael Nadal struggle through to the next round? The Spaniard’s health problems are becoming more and more serious, but the desire for a third GS title this year is also growing. The toughest challenge of the tournament might now be waiting for him.
Nick Kyrgios is in captivating form, his serve in particular is almost impossible to defend.
From a purely sporting point of view, I have major doubts and can understand Kyrgios’ role as favourite. But: If Nadal really competes, he bites until the last second. That’s why I can only imagine the following tip:
We’ll see at least four sets!
