Eugenie Bouchard continues to shock and amaze as the Canadian wunderkind clinches her first-ever ticket to a Grand Slam title after winning over Simona Halep, 7-6 (5), 6-2. Awaiting the Canadian is former champion and current world No. 6 Petra Kvitova, who will surely present a stiff challenge to Bouchard in the finals.
Meanwhile, the men’s Wimbledon tournament is also coming to a close, but not before thrilling tennis fans from around the world with edge-of-your seat semifinals and final games. Read all of the the latest tennis game previews here.
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Eugenie Bouchard vs. Petra Kvitova, Women’s Wimbledon Finals
Where: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
After conquering world No. 3 Simona Halep in the semifinals, 20-year old Eugenie Bouchard is now staring at a golden opportunity of snaring her first ever Grand Slam title. In the Wimbledon finals, where she’ll be up against a clearly more experienced competitor, Bouchard will have to show exactly the same tenacity that had overwhelmed each of her previous opponents.
[sc:Other240banner ]Bouchard has taken a very aggressive approach in the tournament. She’s not been the type whom other players could easily intimidate, which Bouchard’s tournament-leading 116 receiving points would indicate. Against Halep, the youngster converted 36 receiving points out of 78 chances for 46%, the most she’s had in six matches in this tournament.
However, Bouchard must keep her aggressiveness in check, as it also played a hand in making her commit 23 unforced errors against Halep. While that high amount of miscues could be charged to her over-eagerness, it could also be taken as a sign that the pressure and gravity of the moment had set in on the young Canadian.
Bouchard, though, could find confidence in the fact that her fast, unrelenting style of play, fits very well with the grass surface at Wimbledon. Since turning pro in 2009, Bouchard has compiled a 20-9 record on grass.
Betting on Petra Kvitova
She’s been here before. In fact, she’s won the Wimbledon title back in 2011 against Maria Sharapova. Now, Petra Kvitova looks to quell her thirst for another one. This time, though, unlike in her matchup with Sharapova three years ago, Kvitova will enter the finals against Bouchard as the favorite.
Kvitova gained entry to the finals after a commanding 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory over fellow lefty and compatriot Lucie Safarova.
Aside from experience, Kvitova also has a psychological advantage over Bouchard, having beaten the Canadian in their only meeting – a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the second round of last year’s edition of the Rogers Cup Toronto. But whatever advantage that might be mentally, it’s likely to be slim as Bouchard was just ranked No. 62 then – 49 places higher than where the Canadian phenom is positioned right now.
That said, Kvitova’s chances of hurdling Bouchard would be better defined by how the former would fare with her first serves. If Kvitova could replicate her astonishing performance in the third round, wherein she won more than 74% of her points on first serves on her way to repulsing Venus Williams, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5, then the Czech could mail in her second Wimbledon title against Bouchard.
Writer’s Prediction
Kvitova adds another Grand Slam title after a hard-fought battle against Bouchard. Create a betting account now, while odds are still available, and cash in on this certain intense battle.
