Wimbledon 2022 Day 7: Men's singles predictions ft. Novak Djokovic vs Tim van Rijthoven, Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner

The schedule for Day 7 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships is finally out. Round-of-16 action gets underway on Sunday, with eight of the men's singles players vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner precedes defending champion Novak Djokovic’s clash against Tim van Rijthoven on Center Court. Cameron Norrie will take on Tommy Paul on Court 1, while Court 2 hosts Frances Tiafoe and David Goffin.

Without further ado, here are the predictions for the men's singles matches on Day 7 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships:

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#1 Novak Djokovic vs Tim van Rijthoven

Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic will lock horns with Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Following a four-set win over Soon-woo Kwon in the opening round, Djokovic beat Thanasi Kokkinakis and Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets to make it to the fourth round. Van Rijthoven, meanwhile, beat Federico Delbonis and Reilly Opelka to set up a third-round clash with Nikoloz Basilashvili, whom he defeated with ease.

Djokovic and van Rijthoven have not met on the tour before. While the Dutchman is on an eight-match winning streak, his fairytale run is likely to come to an end at the hands of the World No. 3.

Predicted winner: Novak Djokovic.

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#2 Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner

Fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz will square off against 10th seed Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Carlos Alcaraz’s breakthrough season has continued at Wimbledon. He beat Jan-Lennard Struff, Tomas Griekspoor and Oscar Otte on his way to the fourth round, getting better with each match.

Jannik Sinner has also had a good season. He has a 75 percent win ratio and beat the likes of three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, Mikael Ymer and the big-serving John Isner to book his spot in the fourth round.

Alcaraz and Sinner have faced each other once before, with the Spaniard winning 7-6(1), 7-5 at the 2021 Paris Masters. There is very little to separate these two youngsters at the moment. Sinner should cause Alcaraz a lot of trouble, but the 19-year-old should be able to prevail.

Predicted winner: Carlos Alcaraz.

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#3 Frances Tiafoe vs David Goffin

Frances Tiafoe and David Goffin will go head-to-head in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

While Andrea Vavassori and Maximilian Marterer did not trouble Tiafoe in the opening two rounds, he had to come through a difficult four-setter against Alexander Bublik in the third round. Likewise, Goffin beat Radu Albot and Sebastian Baez with ease in the opening round but needed four sets to triumph over Ugo Humbert in the third.

Tiafoe and Goffin have faced each other five times till date, with Goffin winning four times. Their most recent encounter came at the French Open this year, where Goffin won in four sets.

Both players have had similar campaigns at SW19 this year and there’s little separating the two at the moment. Tiafoe should have a slight edge in this contest, considering he’s found a way past Goffin on many occasions before. While it might not be an easy win, the American should be able to get past Goffin and reach his first Wimbledon quarterfinal.

Predicted winner: Frances Tiafoe.

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#4 Cameron Norrie vs Tommy Paul

Home favorite Cameron Norrie faces World No. 32 Tommy Paul in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

A straightforward win over Pablo Andujar in the first round was followed by a five-set win over Jaume Munar in the second round for Norrie. Steve Johnson posed little threat in the third round, with the Brit winning in three quick sets to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Tommy Paul is making his debut at Wimbledon this year and has had quite a memorable run so far. He beat Fernando Verdasco and Adrian Mannarino in the opening rounds, with Jiri Vesely posing little threat in the third. This is the first time Paul has also reached the fourth round of a Major in his career.

Norrie has won two of his three previous meetings with Paul, with their most recent contest coming at this year's Delray Beach Open, where the Brit won in straight sets. While both players are equally matched in skill and form, Norrie will have the edge with the home crowd firmly behind him. It might not be a straight-sets win, but he should be able to come through to reach the quarterfinals.

Predicted winner: Cameron Norrie.