It is quite a surprise to see the total game line set at under 40 for this match.

Khachanov has very much taken the scenic route to get to this stage. He has gone to five sets in each of the last two rounds, needing a deciding tie-break to get past Nuno Borges in the third round. This propensity to need five sets to get through isn't a new thing for Khachanov; his lack of consistency in a best-of-five setup is one of the reasons why he has never fulfilled his potential at Grand Slam level.

It is interesting that Khachanov is in the favourite's position for this match. Whilst this is undoubtedly correct given the respective ability, experience, and expectation, the fact that he comes into this with those marathon matches behind him means that he could be more vulnerable than normal against Majchrzak.

The Pole is on a good run here and has had his own five-set epic, but that was back in round one when taking out Matteo Berrettini. He has since had impressive straight-set wins, which puts him with a real chance in this match.

We expect this to be tight, with big tiebreak potential. Khachanov had two tiebreaks against Borges, one tiebreak set in four sets would often be enough to see this bet come in.

This column predicted that both of these players would progress, so picking a side here feels a little bit like choosing your favourite child.

However, in this case, we can be dispassionate and scientific about our choices, and in this matter, the American has certain things in her favour over Noskova.

The primary factor in making Anisimova a bet here is her relative edge on form this season. Taking the live WTA Race standings, which apply points won in the 2025 WTA season, Anisimova sits at #9, whereas Noskova is down at #21, over 1000 points behind.

This demonstrates the consistency that Anisimova has found this season, and that must provide her with a lot of confidence. Also, Anisimova has that WTA1000 title in Dubai behind her this season, as well as a WTA500 final in Queen's only a few weeks ago.

Noskova has a real lack of experience in the business end of tournaments. This is already the deepest that she has been in Wimbledon, compared to Anisimova, who reached the QFs here in 2022, and Noskova has only one career title, a WTA500 in Monterrey last year.

Anisimova’s big match experience should be a key element in her winning this match.

This is becoming a record-breaking run for Sierra, a lucky loser from qualifying. She is the first female lucky loser to reach this round in the Open era.

However, Laura Siegemund is making the most of her many years of experience. Her game style is a bit of a throwback, but it is working really well against the power games of these modern WTA players. She sent Madison Keys spinning out in a whirl of spins, and her other victories against Leylah Fernandez and Peyton Stearns have both also come in straight sets, which demonstrates how well she is playing.

This feels a little bit like underestimating Sierra again, but her calibre of form is nowhere near Siegemund’s, and it is a little surprising that the German veteran isn't a little shorter here.

Once Sabalenka’s adrenaline had subsided and her heart rate had come down from that intense evening under the roof on Centre Court on Friday, she would have to concede that this has been a pretty perfect first week for her.

She has been increasingly tested as she has moved through the draw, which has meant that the world #1 has produced better and better tennis to combat her opponents. Emma Raducanu took Sabalenka to a place where she has rarely been on grass, and Sabalenka should feel confident that she is ready for a second week to win this title for the first time.

Elise Mertens is perennially underrated, but it is a general truth that it is early in the second week that the Belgian tends to bump up against her ceiling. This is her fifteenth “second week” at a Grand Slam, a very impressive feat, but she has only progressed beyond this round three times, and never before at Wimbledon.

Sabalenka has a 10-2 winning record in this H2H. Mertens last beat her in 2018, with Sabalenka winning the last nine in a row.