Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski has predicted that defending champion Jannik Sinner will defeat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon men's singles final on Sunday. Sinner, the world No. 1, aims to become the tenth player in the Open Era to win back-to-back titles at the All England Club after a dominant semi-final victory over seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Sinner's path to the final
Sinner struggled in the early rounds but delivered an immense performance to crush Djokovic in Friday's semi-final. He now holds a nine-match winning streak against Zverev, a record Rusedski highlighted as decisive. 'Sinner has won something like nine in a row against Zverev. It's an incredible record,' Rusedski said on the Off Court Podcast.
Zverev's breakthrough
Zverev, the second seed, arrived at Wimbledon with renewed confidence after winning his first Grand Slam at the French Open. He had never previously advanced beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon but dropped only two sets en route to the final, including a ruthless semi-final win over British wildcard Arthur Fery. Despite his form, Zverev has lost his last nine matches against Sinner.
Expert predictions
Rusedski believes the final will be competitive but ultimately favors Sinner. 'I think Sinner, I'm going to pick to win. I don't think it's straight sets. Sasha comes out in battles. I think he gets at least a set; I hope he gets two and it goes the distance. I want to see a classic,' he said. Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard agreed, stating after watching Sinner's semi-final: 'He had the perfect balance of power and consistency. I am definitely going the Sinner route.'
Keys to an upset
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash noted that Zverev's serve could be a decisive factor on grass. 'The head-to-head is just Sinner all over, but on grass, you get more out of the serve. Zverev's serve is phenomenal. He's the tie-break master. If he can stay in touch and get to a tie-break in the first set, he has a real chance,' Cash said. However, he warned that Zverev must avoid falling behind early. 'He doesn't want to be going down two sets to love to Sinner, or even one set to love.'
