(Tennis news) With a 51-8 win-loss record on the Hologic WTA tour in 2023, the defending French Open and US Open champion is in strong shape. Despite the Pole’s disappointing Wimbledon performance, she was able to bounce back in front of her home audience at the 2023 Warsaw Open, winning the tournament without dropping a set.
However, Swiatek was defeated by then-World No. 4 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals of the Canadian Open last week, falling 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4. She quickly defeated USA’s Danielle Collins in her opening match in Cincinnati, hoping to make amends for her previous performance.
In contrast, Qinwen Zheng has a decent win-loss record of 25-15 in 2023. Her winning the Palermo Open championship and making it to the WTA 500 semifinals in Abu Dhabi (where she defeated elite competitors like Daria Kasatkina and Jelena Ostapenko) were two of her season’s high points.
The Chinese player didn’t do as well in Cincinnati despite falling to eventual finalist Liudmila Samsonova in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal last week.
After defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in her opening match, Zheng displayed shrewd tennis in the second round to frustrate the comeback of former World No. 1 Venus Williams. To advance to the third round, the Chinese easily defeated her much more seasoned opponent by the scores of 1-6, 6-2, and 6-1.
Head-to-Head
Iga Swiatek has a 3-0 advantage over Qinwen Zheng in their current matchups. The Chinese was defeated by the three-time Major champion at Roland Garros last year after falling behind a set, and she was also victorious in their lone encounter on hard courts at the 2022 San Diego Open.
Predictions
On the Hologic WTA tour for now, Swiatek is the player with the best balance. The Pole not only has incredibly accurate groundstrokes but also excellent footwork and a keen sense of game strategy. However, one of her weaknesses is that her serve isn’t very strong.
On the other side, Qinwen Zheng is a little bit more aggressive than usual. The Chinese player has a strong first serve as well as groundstrokes with a lot of depth and force. These qualities, however, do not guarantee that she would succeed in defeating the World No. 1.
Swiatek has made it clearly evident over the last two years that she can outperform any player from the baseline thanks to the breadth she generates. The Pole is skilled at attacking the net to apply pressure to her opponents during important times and is capable of hitting the ball from some amazing angles.
For what it’s worth, the 20-year-old Chinese is still developing his tactical skills and physical fitness. Given that, it will be difficult for her to defeat her more seasoned rival on Cincinnati’s hardcourts.
Iga Swiatek to win in 2 sets
Also read: Carlos Alcaraz set to play Tommy Paul
