Wimbledon 2018: Predicting Men and Women's Finals Before Week 2

Some of the favorites to win Wimbledon dropped out of the tournament at a rapid pace during the first week of play at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. 

Nine of the top 16 seeds in the men's draw were eliminated in the first three rounds, and the carnage is even worse in the women's draw, as one of the top 10 seeds remains in contention entering the second week. 

Although there's been upsets galore at the season's third major, there are still quite a few big names left in the tournament, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. 

Below is a breakdown of each draw and a look at the four players with the best chances to advance to the men's and women's finals. 

Men's Final Prediction

Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal 

Federer vs. Nadal is a boring and exciting predicted final. 

The argument against the top two seeds in the men's draw meeting in the final in one week's time is the fact that we've seen this matchup numerous times and some people may want to see a new name or matchup in a Grand Slam final, which is an understandable line of thinking. 

However, you can counter that by saying the pair of all-time greats usually deliver a compelling match when they face each other. 

If Federer and Nadal advance to the final, they'd meet in the championship 10 years after one of their best Wimbledon battles, a five-set masterpiece won by Nadal. 

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Before taking back the Wimbledon crown a year ago, Federer went four years without winning the grass court tournament. 

Nadal is in the hunt for his first championship in England since 2010, when he defeated Tomas Berdych to win the title. 

Federer has the easier path to the final, with Kevin Anderson and John Isner, the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds respectively, seen as his top threats. 

An unseeded Gael Monfils could give Federer trouble if he beats Anderson, as he possesses four career wins against the No. 1 seed. 

Even if Federer is tested by the players in his half of the draw, it won't compare to what Nadal has to go through as major champions Juan Martin Del Potro and Novak Djokovic are still alive. 

Nadal is 10-5 against Del Potro and he's won both meetings on grass against the fifth-seeded Argentine. Djokovic would be the bigger threat to Nadal since the Serbian is 26-25 versus the Spaniard, but the two have only played three times on grass, with the latest meeting coming in the 2011 Wimbledon final. 

Although there's potential for an epic semifinal between Djokovic and Nadal, the Spanish left-hander is in better form since Djokovic is working his way back from an injury layoff. 

Once Federer and Nadal reach the final, anything can happen. Federer has been the dominant player on grass on the men's circuit for more than a decade, but Nadal has experience of beating the Swiss legend on Centre Court at Wimbledon. 

Women's Final

Serena Williams vs. Angelique Kerber

Adam Davy/Associated Press

The path to a 24th major is clear for Williams, who is the top player left in the women's draw despite the No. 25 seed next to her name. 

Williams is in contention for her eighth Wimbledon title, which is five more major titles than the other 15 players left in the tournament on the women's side have in their careers. 

Angelique Kerber and Jelena Ostapenko are the only other previous major winners left in the field, and they're part of a group looking to make life difficult for Williams in her first Grand Slam tournament back from maternity leave. 

If the top part of the bracket holds to form, which it hasn't done through three rounds, Kerber and Ostapenko would meet in the semifinals with Williams presumably waiting for the winner. 

The only significant test Williams should face in the bottom part of the bracket would come in the semifinals against Karolina Pliskova, Kiki Bertens or Julia Gorges. 

Pliskova, who is the top seed remaining in the women's tournament, should be seen as Williams' top threat to reach the final since she beat the American once in a major at the 2016 U.S. Open, which was won by Kerber. 

If Williams passes the test delivered by Pliskova, a rematch of the 2016 Wimbledon women's final awaits against Kerber, who beat Williams for her first major crown at the 2016 Australian Open. 

Williams is 6-2 in her career against Kerber, but the match might be better than expected given the tight major finals played between the two in 2016. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com.