Kiki Bertens vs Julia Goerges: Wimbledon quarterfinal preview and prediction

(Photo credit: Si.Robi)

Germany's 13th seed Julia Goerges had never previously made it to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam in 41 attempts. But after some fine play during week one at the Championships and on Manic Monday, she finally broke through to the quarterfinals. There she faces the giant-killing Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, who has already accounted for two top ten seeds. This shapes up as a close one, but who will come out on top?

History

Bertens and Goerges have faced one another twice so far, and both times it has been Bertens who has got the win. In the first, in Nuremberg back in 2016, the match was extremely close, with Bertens sneaking over the line with a 3-6 6-4 7-6 victory. Their second meeting came earlier this year in the final in Charleston, and though Bertens again won, this time it was an easy 6-2 6-1 victory. Both matches were on clay, making this is their first grass court contest.

Path to the quarterfinals

Goerges has been worked hard so far. She got through the first round by beating Monica Puig 6-4 7-6 in nearly two hours, and spent the exact same amount of time on court in the second round, defeating Vera Lapko 6-2 3-6 6-2. Her match against Barbora Strycova in the third round was her toughest yet, and it took her just under three hours to earn a 7-6 3-6 10-8 victory. The win earned her a match up against world #55 Donna Vekic, a match which Goerges won 6-3 6-2.

Bertens cruised through the first two rounds, beating first Barbora Stefkova and then Anna Blinkova in straight sets, with neither match lasting much longer than an hour. Things got a little more difficult when she faced ninth seed Venus Williams in the third round, but in a gruelling match she managed to escape with an impressive 6-2 6-7 8-6 win. Her fourth round match was against world #8 Karolina Pliskova, and Bertens pulled off a second straight upset in two tight sets, 6-3 7-6.

How do they match up?

Both of these players possess very well-rounded games. Each of them is solid on both wings though Goerges forehand is perhaps the biggest weapon in the match. Bertens, however, is the better athlete and generally covers the court extremely well. Goerges’ serve may be one factor which will have a huge impact in the outcome of the match; it is aggressive and reasonably powerful, but she is equally prone to double faults as she is to unreturnable serves.

Bertens, meanwhile, has had one of the best tournaments of her career on serve. Although not accounted as one of the Tour’s biggest servers, she has been effective indeed when stepping to the line so far at the All England Club this year. She struck seven aces against Pliskova and four against Williams, out acing both and winning over 70% of the points behind her first serve. But she too has struggled a little with double faults, hitting five against Pliskova and three against Williams.

Prediction

These players are very evenly matched, and as a result it should prove a tightly fought encounter. Goerges racked up the miles in the first week and must be feeling the pinch though her fourth round victory was more routine. Expect them to split the points in the first two sets, before Bertens heads into the semifinals with a very tight win, in the process equalling her best ever performance at a Grand Slam.