2012 Wimbledon Semifinals Free Picks: Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Andy Murray: Four players remain in the battle at the All England Club, and as it has been in most major tournaments lately, an elite group will battle it out for the title. Shockingly, last year’s runner-up Rafael Nadal is not among the semifinalists, but defending champion Novak Djokovic is. Six-time Wimbledon winner Roger Federer is also alive, along with Britain’s own Andy Murray. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga qualifies as the Cinderella of the bunch, but even he is the fifth-ranked player in the world. There will be plenty of talent on Centre Court for both semifinal matches.
2012 Wimbledon Semifinals Free Picks and Vegas Odds
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 3 Roger Federer
While the winner of this semifinal will have to play again, this is basically the championship match for this year’s tournament. In terms of storylines, it doesn’t get much better. Djokovic is the top player in the world and looking to defend his title at the All England Club from a year ago. Federer can regain the top ranking if he can win the tournament, and in the process, he would tie Pete Sampras with seven career Wimbledon crowns. An absolute war on the grass of Centre Court could be on tap.
Shockingly, Friday’s match will be the first time Federer and Djokovic have met at the All England Club. Federer actually holds a 14-12 edge in head-to-head meetings with Djokovic, but Djokovic has won four of the last five meetings between the two in Grand Slam semifinals. One of those victories came at the French Open last month when Djokovic dominated Federer, bouncing the all-time leader in major title in three sets. Overall, the two are an even 5-5 against each other in Grand Slam meetings.
With every major that passes, it becomes less and less likely that Federer is going to get back over the hump and overtake Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. However, grass is Federer’s best surface, and he has six Wimbledon titles to prove it. At the very least, he isn’t going down in straight sets like he did at Roland Garros. That being said, outlasting a 25-year-old, aggressive player like Djokovic won’t be easy for the 30-year-old Federer. This is without question Federer’s best chance to date to grab one more major in his incredible career. Still, Father Time catches up to everyone, and Djokovic is in his prime and is the best in the world. An epic five-set match seems inevitable, but look for “The Joker” to survive and advance.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic Wins in 5 Sets
No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. No. 4 Andy Murray
When Rafael Nadal went down early in the tournament, this side of the bracket suddenly became wide open. Two of the top players in the game that have yet to capture a major have taken advantage, and Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are now one win away from reaching the championship match at Wimbledon. For Murray, it is the fourth straight year he has reached the semifinals at the All England Club. Tsonga will be making his second straight appearance in the semis.
There is no doubt that the crowd will be behind Murray in this one. The British star is trying to become the first English player since Fred Perry in 1936 to win at the All England Club. The numbers are on his side, as well. Murray has won his last four meetings with Tsonga. Two of those matches have been on grass, including a meeting at Wimbledon. Since 2009, Murray has established himself as the better player, and having the crowd behind him should only help his cause.
Tsonga certainly has the talent to pull off the upset, but his reputation for being a streaky player is deserved. At times, he appears to be everywhere on the court, making impossible shots and attacking the net. However, he has yet to take the next step and become a consistent player from match to match or even set to set. Murray on the other hand has established himself as the fourth-best player in the world. While he picked a terrible time to be the fourth-best, he is still able to beat everyone else in the game almost, including Tsonga. Murray won’t let a chance to reach the finals slip away in front of his countrymen.
Prediction: Andy Murray Wins in 4 Sets
2012 ATP Wimbledon Championships Odds – Tennis Betting
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer
101 Novak Djokovic -260
102 Roger Federer +215
Andy Murray vs Jo Wilfried Tsonga
103 Andy Murray -220
104 Jo Wilfried Tsonga +180
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