Wimbledon Preview 2019 – 3.00 pm
The blockbuster games in the women’s draw are starting to come thick and fast now. This is going to be an absolute treat with Britain’s last player standing, Jo Konta, looking to muscle her way through to the quarterfinals. She is going to have a massive challenge on her hands though, as she takes on former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. Konta is the 6/4 underdog* (betting odds taken from bet365 on July 7th, 2019 at 2:11 pm)
Johanna Konta v Petra Kvitova Odds*
Petra Kvitova 8/15
Johanna Konta 6/4
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on July 7th, 2019 at 2:11 pm)
Can Johanna Konta beat Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon?
This is going to be a real test for Jo Konta. In the third round, she bumped into a big player as she took on Sloane Stephens. That was a difficult meeting with a top ten player early in the tournament that Konta had to deal with. The Briton dropped the first set and was struggling to get her first serve going in the second, which is one of her biggest weapons. However, she staved off three break points in the fifth game of the second set.
That was the turning point as Konta got her mental focus back and drove on to victory. She found her zone basically. So that was a good show of character in the end, but there were times in the first set when she was struggling with frustrations when things weren’t going well. Can Konta take things a step further? This fixture which sees the Briton taking on a two-time Wimbledon champion is priced up at 6/4 to go to three sets* (betting odds taken from bet365 on July 7th, 2019 at 2:11 pm)
Konta v Kvitova head to head
The two players have met four times before. The most recent of those two meetings was in Birmingham last year with Kvitova winning through in straights early in the tournament. As it stands Konta is just W1 L3 against Kvitova. There has been just one previous Grand Slam meeting, a US Open clash in 2015 won by Kvitova. As a positive thought for Konta, the one win that she took in this head to head series was on grass, at Eastbourne in 2016.
Kvitova yet to drop a set
The challenge from Kivotva is real. She has yet to drop a set on the way to the fourth round. She won her Wimbledon titles in 2011 and 2014 and is one of the best grass court players around. This is the furthest that she has been since claiming that 2014 Wimbledon title though. But on each of the four occasions that she has gotten past the third round, she has ended up in at least the quarterfinals.
So far at Wimbledon 2019, Kvitova has taken down Ons Jabeur, Kristina Mladenovic and Magda Linette. So for her too, in going up against Konta, this is easily going to be the stiffest challenge that she has faced. Kvitova did have a long break out, not having played since a third-round exit to Maria Sakkari at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in mid-May. But she is back on grass where she thrives and Petra Kvitova 2-0 set betting score is at 5/4* (betting odds taken from bet365 on July 7th, 2019 at 2:11 pm)
Prediction
A bit of a negative mindset was bothering Jo Konta through the early stages of her match against Sloane Stephens. She pulled it together, but fighting back against Kvitova would be a much tougher thing to handle. It has been a good summer from Konta, but she is taking on a giant on the grass and may well fall. Kvitova to win.
