Wimbledon 2016: Predicting Men and Women's Finals Before Week 2

A lot will happen between now and the finals at Wimbledon. We may see more upsets. Epic clashes between top players will be contested. Perhaps there will be even more marathon matches, like the third-round thriller between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and John Isner.

Nonetheless, it's always fun to predict how the tournament will shake out. So below, we'll take a look at the most likely finals for the men and the women and project the winners of this year's Wimbledon.

Men: Andy Murray vs. Roger Federer 

Three men have won Wimbledon since 2011: Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014-15), Andy Murray (2013) and Roger Federer (2012). So with Djokovic shockingly out of the tournament, it's tough to be against anything other than a Murray vs. Federer final. 

Federer, after all, was the runner-up at the tournament the past two years. Before that, Murray won the tournament and was the runner-up to Federer the year before. No other man has so much as reached the final outside of those three since Rafael Nadal was the runner-up in 2011. And Nadal didn't participate in this year's tournament due to injury. 

Since the start of the 2015 season, Murray has been the best player in the world not named Djokovic. He's reached three Grand Slam finals and has won six titles overall, locking down the No. 2 ranking in the world in the process. 

Only Djokovic has really stood in his way, as Murray has gone just 2-9 against Djokovic since the start of the 2015 season. He's 99-9 against everyone else. 

But Murray, to his credit, isn't assuming a Wimbledon title is simply his for the taking now that Djokovic has been eliminated, as he wrote for BBC Sport earlier on Sunday:

"

I couldn't help but notice the noise from the crowd when Novak's score flashed up on the Centre Court scoreboard, but I only thought about it for a few seconds. It doesn't guarantee anything.

The players left in my section of the draw are still formidable.

You've got Nick Kyrgios, who's beaten Rafa on Centre Court before; Feli Lopez, who's a very good grass-courter; Tsonga is one of the best grass-court players in the world; not many players want to play Isner; Richard Gasquet's still in there and he made the semis last year.

There are some pretty decent players left in my way, so I'm not getting carried away.

"

(Note: Isner and Lopez have since been eliminated.)

And indeed, Federer seems likely to be waiting in the final. No, Federer hasn't won a Grand Slam title since taking Wimbledon in 2012. He has played in three of the last eight Grand Slam finals, however, and while he hasn't won a title this year, he won six a year ago. 

Federer is no longer the juggernaut he once was, but he remains an elite player. 

Still, his road could be equally difficult. Marin Cilic—who won the 2014 U.S. Open—or Kei Nishikori will be awaiting in the quarterfinals if Federer beats Steve Johnson. Milos Raonic or David Goffin could await in the semifinals.

But of that bunch, Federer simply seems the most likely to reach the final. And who wouldn't love to see Murray trying to win a second Wimbledon title for Great Britain against Federer trying to win his 18th Grand Slam title?

Federer would probably be the favorite in the matchup, seeing as he's beaten Murray five straight times since 2014. But Murray has been the better player overall the past two seasons, and he won't let this opportunity pass him by.

Prediction: Murray wins.

Women: Serena Williams vs. Angelique Kerber

Adam Pretty/Getty Images

When in doubt, assume that Serena Williams will reach a Grand Slam final. After all, she's played in six of the last seven, winning four titles along the way, and she already has six Wimbledon titles to her name. She also won her 300th Grand Slam match on Sunday, moving her to second all-time behind Martina Navratilova (306-49), per ESPN.

Williams in a Grand Slam final has basically been a foregone conclusion over the past two years.

Her road to this year's final certainly won't be easy, however. Svetlana Kuznetsova awaits in the fourth round, and Agnieszka Radwanska could meet her in the semifinals. Neither one of those matches will be easy. 

But who is going to bet against Williams?

The other side of the bracket is a little trickier to decode, with Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, Venus Williams, Madison Keys and Carla Suarez Navarro still in the running. It wouldn't be shocking if any of those five players advanced to the final.

Kerber, however, has the best resume of the bunch this season. She's won two titles this season, including the Australian Open. She's reached three finals in total and six semifinals. While Wimbledon hasn't been her best tournament, she has two trips to the quarterfinals and a semifinal under her belt. 

Will anybody pick her to beat Williams in the final if she makes it that far? Well, no. You don't bet against the woman with 21 Grand Slam titles. 

But Kerber has already beaten her in a final once this season, so she'll put up a fight. On a different surface, perhaps, she'd pull off a second upset. But on Wimbledon's grass, where Williams has been so good throughout her career, Kerber will fall short.

Prediction: Williams wins.

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