Wimbledon 2021: SportCo Power Rankings: Berrettini vs Hurkacz and Djokovic vs Shapovalov

After an action-packed quarterfinals, the semifinals at Wimbledon 2021 will continue to attract more eyeballs from tennis fans across the world.  

What happened in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2021? 

Defending champion Novak Djokovic cruised past the giant-killer Marton Fucsovics 6-3 6-3 6-4. 10th seed Denis Shapovalov edged the power-hitting 25th seed Karen Khachanov in 5 sets.

However, 8-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was outplayed in straight sets by Hubert Hurkacz. The 14th seeded Pole also inflicted Federer’s first bagel in the history of Wimbledon. In a battle of big servers, the 7th seed Matteo Berrettini overcame the 16th seed Felix Auger Aliassime in 4 sets. 

Sportco has released another series of Power Rankings for the 4 semifinalists. 

Djokovic will be fully focused on winning a record-equalling 20th grand slam. 

However, the Next-Gen trio of Shapovalov (22), Hurkacz (24), and Berrettini (25) are no pushovers and will aim to grab a slice of history by clinching the prestigious title. 

1) Matteo Berrettini vs Hubert Hurkacz: Hurkacz leads the H2H 1-0

Major Talking Points

• Both Berrettini and Hurkacz are featuring in their maiden Wimbledon semifinal.
• Interestingly, both players are right-handers with two-handed backhands. This is their first clash on the grass surface.
• Berrettini is the first Italian man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals since the Open Era (1968). The last player from Italy to achieve that was Nicola Pietrangeli in 1960.
• Hurkacz is the second Polish singles player to reach a grand slam semifinals after Jerzy Janowicz did it in Wimbledon 2013.
• Berrettini is on a 10-match winning streak on grass.

2) Novak Djokovic vs Denis Shapovalov: Djokovic leads H2H 6-0 

Key Insights

• Djokovic is aiming to reach his 3rd Wimbledon final in a row (Champion in 2018 and 2019).
• Shapovalov is playing his maiden grand slam semifinal.
• Interestingly, this is their first-ever meeting on grass.
• Djokovic, the world number 1 has won 100 matches on the grass surface. He is playing his landmark 10th Wimbledon semifinal.
• The Serb also achieved the incredible feat of winning 10,000 points at Wimbledon.

Dear fans, what are your views about the evenly-matched Wimbledon semifinals? Will Djokovic continue his invincibility or is it time for the Next-Gen to take over the baton? Let us know by sharing your comments below.  

Featured Image Credits - BBC Sport