This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The quarterfinals continue Wednesday at Wimbledon with a pair of men's matches and a pair of women's matches. Enigmatic Aussie Nick Kyrgios is trying to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time as the favorite in his quarterfinal match, while Rafael Nadal will look to exact revenge on one of the three players to beat him this year. On the women's side, a pair of favorites have yet to drop a set in this tournament, but will they be able to handle the pressure against opponents that have already proven capable of pulling off significant upsets?
All of these players have shown to be in quality form by navigating through the first four rounds of the grass court Grand Slam, but a mix of prior results and matchups can help project who will have the upper hand moving forward. Below is a preview of Tuesday's four singles matches. All match odds are taken from DraftKings Sportsbook, but you can sometimes find more favorable odds on some of these matches by checking other mobile sportsbooks such as FanDuel, BetMGM or Caesars.
MEN'S SINGLES
Nick Kyrgios (-450) vs. Cristian Garin (+330)
If Kyrgios plays up to his capabilities, he should win this one rather comfortably, but the relentless Garin will make him earn it. Garin has dropped to 43rd in the rankings after climbing as high as 17th last year, but he's playing with house money here. The Chilean was expected to lose in the first round against Matteo Berrettini, but Berrettini pulled out due to COVID the day before the tournament. In the Round of 16, Garin lost the first two sets and faced match points in the fifth before beating Alex de Minaur in a fifth-set tiebreak. Still, Kyrgios' booming serve and aggressive play style should allow him to control this match, and he finally seems to be relishing the challenge of playing big matches late in Grand Slams. Garin's best chance is a Kyrgios implosion, be it mental or physical (the Australian was battling shoulder discomfort during his five-set fourth-round win over Brandon Nakashima).
Rafael Nadal (-270) vs. Taylor Fritz (+215)
Fritz hasn't dropped a set here, but Nadal's rightfully the favorite and has gotten better and better as this tournament has progressed. The American's capable of earning many free points with his serve, and he'll need to do so to keep the pressure on Nadal. Fritz beat an injured Nadal in the Indian Wells final on hard courts earlier this year, so that should give him some belief against a healthier version of the Spaniard, who is 18-0 in Grand Slams this year.
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Simona Halep (-225) vs. Amanda Anisimova (+180)
Anisimova's back in the comfortable spot of being the underdog, and the 20-year-old American has the skill set to take down Halep by controlling baseline rallies with her power, but Halep has the major edge in big-match experience and has been in fantastic form this tournament. Halep has yet to drop a set here and boasts an 11-match Wimbledon winning streak, as she won this event the last time she played it in 2019. Anisimova stunned Halep at the 2019 French Open, but the Romanian has dropped just four games over their two subsequent matchups, the most recent of which came on grass less than two weeks ago. Avoiding an early hole will be imperative for Anisimova to gain the confidence that she can hang in there against Halep.
Elena Rybakina (-190) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic (+155)
Tomljanovic is in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for a second consecutive year, so there's no denying that she's a tough out on grass, but Rybakina has expertly navigated a tough draw without dropping a set. The big-serving Moscow native, who is allowed to play here because she represents Kazakhstan, has been incredibly clutch during this run; Rybakina's 8-0 record in sets includes six sets that were either 7-5 or 7-6. Converting break points will be crucial for Tomljanovic, who has gone 13 for 22 on break chances in her last two matches after snagging only nine of 30 break points in her first two matches. Rybakina won their only previous meeting 6-4, 6-0 on clay last April and is ranked 21 spots ahead of Tomljanovic at No. 23 in the world.
