Wimbledon 2022: Day 12 men's singles predictions ft. Novak Djokovic vs Cameron Norrie, Rafael Nadal vs Nick Kyrgios

The schedule for Day 12 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships is finally out. Four players remain in the men’s singles category and will play their semifinal fixtures on Friday.

Novak Djokovic will take on Cameron Norrie in the first match on Centre Court, followed by Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios.

Without further ado, here are the predictions for the men’s singles semifinals on Day 12 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

#1 Novak Djokovic vs Cameron Norrie

No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic is eyeing his seventh title at the All England Club, which looked questionable at times during his quarterfinal encounter with Jannik Sinner. He returned from the brink against the Italian, pulling off a stunning comeback to win 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in three hours and thirty-five minutes on Center Court.

His Wimbledon campaign did not get off to the smoothest of starts, needing four sets to get past Soonwoo Kwon in his opening-round match. Against Thanasi Kokkinakis and Miomir Kecmanovic, however, he looked at his clinical best and won in straight-sets. The World No. 3 then beat Rosmalen Grass Court Championships winner Tim van Rijthoven in the fourth round, snapping the Dutchman's nine-match winning streak in the process.

After an easy win against Pablo Andujar and a close escape against Jaume Munar in the first two rounds, Cameron Norrie defeated Steve Johnson and Paul comfortably in his next two assignments. He then beat American Tommy Paul in straight sets to reach the last-eight stage of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Up against veteran David Goffin for a spot in the Wimbledon semis, the Briton made a poor start as Goffin was up a set and a break in no time. Norrie worked his way back into the set and eventually won it 7-5. A clinical Goffin performance followed in the third set, but Norrie did not let go thereafter.

Strong serving and great groundstrokes saw the Brit take the match into a decider as he upped his game in the clutch moments. A five-set win by the British No. 1 was much to the delight of the English crowd, who will be rooting for him in Friday’s semifinal.

The only previous meeting between Djokovic and Norrie came in the group stages of the 2021 ATP Tour Finals, which the Serb won in straight sets — dropping only three games.

Norrie has fought hard for his place in the Wimbledon semifinals. When it looked like the chips were down and he was heading for the exit, he dug deep and came through, much to the delight of the home crowd. However, he’s up against one of the finest players of this generation next.

Facing Djokovic on grass at Wimbledon almost feels like an impossible task for the 26-year-old. Norrie has shown that he will not stop trying till the very end, and that should give the Serbian some trouble on Centre Court. However, expect the World No. 3 to come through the contest and book his spot in Sunday's championship match.

Predicted winner: Novak Djokovic.

#2 Rafael Nadal vs Nick Kyrgios

22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal plays unseeded Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals of Wimbledon.

Nadal has had an impressive season so far, winning 35 out of 39 matches. He won the Australian Open and the French Open, while also triumphing at the Mexican Open and the Melbourne Summer Set 1. He has his eyes on a third consecutive Major title. which would set him up for the Calendar Grand Slam going into Flushing Meadows.

In his first two rounds at Wimbledon against Francisco Cerundulo and Ricardo Berankis, the Spaniard made a strong start, winning the first two sets, but then wobbled a little and lost the third before coming back to wrap up in four sets. Nadal looked far more assured in his next two matches, against Lorenzo Sonego in the third round and against Botic van de Zandschulp in the last 16.

Up against American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, the Mallorcan was off to a strong start. He broke early but the 24-year-old broke back twice in the first set to close at 6-3. Nadal was up a break in the second set but was broken back at 3-3, right around the time he began showing signs of discomfort around the abdomen.

After a medical timeout and aided by a vocal Centre Court crowd, Nadal defied all odds to beat Fritz and make it through to the semifinals.

Kyrgios has been at his most focused at Wimbledon this fortnight. After a dramatic third-round battle with Stefanos Tsitsipas, he won a five-setter against Brandon Nakashima to make it to his second quarterfinal at Wimbledon.

First-time Major quarterfinalist Cristian Garin did his best to unsettle the Australian’s game in the last-eight but the 27-year-old fought hard to take the match in straight sets and reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal.

The outcome of the semifinal is largely dependent on Nadal’s physical condition, which currently looks questionable at the moment. Reports suggest that the Spaniard suffered a 7mm tear on his abdomen but that he plans on taking to the court on Friday.

Even if Nadal is cleared to play on Friday, he will be far from his best, which makes Kyrgios the favorite to take the tie and progress to the Wimbledon final.

Predicted winner: Nick Kyrgios.