Wimbledon 2011: 8 Bold Predictions for the Remainder of the Tournament

As the Championships at SW19 enter its latter stages, it's time to get the predictions in for the rest of the tournament. 

Will there be another Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal final?

Will Maria Sharapova win her second Wimbledon title?

How far will Novak Djokovic go?

Will Andy Murray be able to delight the home crowd?

Here's my list of eight bold predictions for the remainder of the tournament:

Rain, Rain, (will) Go Away

Now who wouldn't want to see scenes like the one in the picture?! Well, admittedly, it would look a little better with a full-capacity crowd and perhaps two players draped in white on the court, but you get my point!

London's weather has lived up to its erratic reputation throughout the Championships so far. You can expect a heat wave one day followed by a thunderstorm the very next. 

Even though most of the matches will be played on center court, whose water-proof roof has thus far lived up to its top-notch standards, one wouldn't mind seeing clear, blue skies for a change as we move forward in the tournament.

I predict that not a drop of rain will fall in the SW19 area. As for the rest of London, all I can say is, "Brace yourself!" 

The Rain God has spoken!

Sabine Lisicki Will Fall To...

...Those arms! Those huge, horrific arms!

For my own sanity, I'm hoping this image has been photoshopped! I'm sure all of Maria Sharapova's fans are hoping the same! For those who haven't seen this photo before, my sincere apologies! I'm still recovering from it myself! The monstrosity!

On a more serious note, Maria Sharapova is in tremendous form right now. The way she bludgeoned Dominika Cibulkova in the quarters will give anyone the shudders. It doesn't matter if you're the first German since Steffi Graf to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon!

Sabine Lisicki has taken out the likes of Na Li and Marion Bartoli in this tournament in intense, draining encounters. She is also playing the doubles event side-by-side. It will be interesting to see if she has the legs to go forward. Rest assured, she's going to need every ounce of strength in her body to overcome Sharapova's current roll.

The Little Banshee Will Strike Again

Victoria Azarenka has literally sung her way through to the semifinals. Her comical, sing-song grunt that sounds like the shriek of a baby banshee has made her a crowd favorite.

Azarenka's game, on the other hand, has been pretty solid. She has coasted through four of her five matches so far. Her only stiff challenge came against Daniela Hantuchova in the third round, which Azarenka won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

The fourth seed has a well-rounded game and is looking like a worthy contender for the title. She likes to play from the back of the court and her ground-strokes spell aggression. She has a strong backhand that she uses to her advantage and likes to volley as much as she can.

Azarenka faces eighth seed Petra Kvitova in the semifinals. The 21-year-old Czech has also had a strong tournament so far and is in her second straight Wimbledon semifinal. 

The match is sure to be an evenly contested encounter, and I predict that Azarenka just edges it.

The Battle of the Grunts

If my previous two predictions come true, Maria Sharova and Victoria Azarenka will meet in the final on Saturday.

This would probably be the hottest final contested in the history of the tournament! The security outside Center Court will do well to keep out the perverts.

On the other hand, this would also be the loudest final contested in the history of the tournament. The sound barrier could be broken! London's Trafalgar Square could permanently get rid of its pigeon infestation!

That being said, it's sure to be a great final between the best women's players left in the tournament. Center Court would be graced by some high-quality, power-packed tennis and my gut tells me Sharapova will lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Rafael Nadal Will Fall Before the Final

That's probably the most photographed left foot in the world right now.

Rafael Nadal was seen grimacing in pain during his marathon fourth-round match against Juan Martin del Potro after a problem with his left heel. But the fighter that he is, Nadal battled through the pain and won the match in four draining sets.

An MRI scan on his foot later that evening dispelled all fears of a withdrawal from the tournament. The Spaniard has been adjudged fit to play against Mardy Fish in the quarterfinals.

But Nadal is going to have to be at his 100 percent if he wants to stand any chance against the American. Fish has a huge serve and boasts third highest number of aces in the tournament so far—73.

He also has an 85 percent winning record on his first serve points.

Fish likes to serve and volley, and will test Nadal's movement on court thoroughly.

I predict another grueling encounter for the Spaniard. If he does come through victorious, even someone of Nadal's reslove will find it difficult to take down, possibly, Andy Murray in the semifinal.

If Roger Federer Beats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, He Will Reach the Final

Roger Federer has been in supreme form throughout the tournament so far. 

He survived a scare against Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth round, losing the first set to a tie-break but then fighting back valiantly to win 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

His competitor in the quarterfinals will be Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who's on somewhat of a streak himself. The Queen's runner-up has become a crowd favorite at the All England Club with his dynamic style of play.

Tsonga looks to be in the form of his life and will thoroughly test the Swiss with his blistering groundstrokes and massive serves, which have been clocked at around 135 mph. 

Tsonga is sure to give Federer a workout and if the Swiss does win, it will come after stepping up his game and being in champion mode. 

A win over Tsonga would also be the ideal catalyst for Federer to go ahead and beat (possibly) Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Andy Murray Will Reach the Final

Britain's Andy Murray has high expectations riding on him in the Championships, and he seems to be doing enough to keep the crowd happy.

The Queen's winner has been aggressive in his play, agile on the court and mentally strong. He has not let the weight of the expectations get to him.

He's looked solid with his ground strokes and has one of the best court coverages in the tournament so far.

When on song, Murray looks unstoppable and has an extra dimension added to him. His confidence flies high and he even showboats to the crowd's delight.

But as the tournament goes on, Murray's resolve is sure to be tested as he again finds himself in the same half of the draw as Rafael Nadal.

Murray stands a good chance at reaching his first Wimbledon final given the fragile condition Nadal is in. I predict an upset.

Andy Murray Will Win Wimbledon

If Andy Murray does reach the final, I honestly don't see him losing to either of Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.

Murray is in the best form of his life and this is visibly his best chance to win a Grand Slam, and that too in front of his home crowd.

Murray has previously lost three Grand Slam finals to Djokovic and Federer, so he'll be even more motivated to set things straight this time around. If he does reach the final, I don't see him slipping up... again!

So if I were him, I'd shave that beard right away!