Keys M. vs Sabalenka A. Preview and Betting Tips

🥎 WTA Singles Wimbledon Predictions

⏰ 12 July 2023 - 22:00 AEST

🌿 Surface - Grass

🏟 Location - London, United Kingdom

Aryna Sabalenka met her first-seeded opponent of the campaign and mowed down 's-Hertogenbosch champion Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-4, 6-0, on the No. 1 court. It was her joint-most efficient round in terms of a number of games lost, and also the first match in which she did not have to fend off breakpoints.

The world No. 2, who was forced to skip SW19 last year, has won three of four rounds in straight sets, while having to rally against Varvara Gracheva in the second round, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. She looks very much in the mood to extend her streak of reaching at least the semifinal to four consecutive major outings.

She might have started her career at the All England Club with a 1-3 performance, from 2017 to 2019, but she turned up the heat in her last visit in 2021. The 25-year-old defeated Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur en route to her maiden slam quarterfinal and semifinal, and barely lost to Karolina Pliskova in three sets.

The Belarusian has played six career quarterfinals on grass courts, going ahead on three instances. She has never won a title on this surface but that's what she needs to do this week to have a chance for the world No. 1 debut. The second seed will be helped by her 5-0 record in slam quarterfinals (10-0 insets).

Madison Keys was on the verge of defeat to 16-year-old qualifier Mirra Andreeva, standing a point away from a set and 1-5 deficit. She served to stay in the match twice and later saved all three breakpoints in the decider to stop the Russian teenager, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, in over two hours on No. 2 court.

The last time the American won a match from a set deficit at Wimbledon, it led to her only previous quarterfinal appearance at this tournament. Her brilliant 2015 campaign at the age of only 20 ended at the last-eight stage after losing to 13th seed and former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets.

The former world No. 7 started this grass-court swing having not reached a quarterfinal on British soil since the 2016 season. However, she proceeded to lift her third career British grass-court title in Eastbourne without losing a set and beating Coco Gauff and Daria Kasatkina in the final two rounds.

She has extended her winning streak to nine matches, including expelling Marta Kostyuk and Viktorija Golubic this fortnight. The 28-year-old looks to break new ground at the tournament with a 5-3 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals, and playing her first such match since the 2022 Australian Open (SF).

Head-to-head: 1-1. Aryna Sabalenka was breaking into the tour in 2018 when she won their Cincinnati quarterfinal clash in straight sets. Madison Keys replied in the second round of Berlin in 2021, surviving 7-5 in the third set. The latter is 1-10 against top 3 players, only beating Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati last year.