Australian Open 2021: Iga Swiatek vs Fiona Ferro preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (15) Iga Swiatek vs Fiona Ferro
Date: 12 February 2021
Tournament: Australian Open 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: AUD $80 million
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | India - Sony Ten Network / Sony Liv Premium
Iga Swiatek vs Fiona Ferro preview
Polish No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face France's Fiona Ferro on Friday in the third round of the 2021 Australian Open.
Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, has cruised through her opening two matches at Melbourne Park, losing a mere 10 games in the process. The 19-year-old extended her Slam-winning streak to nine matches with a straight-sets win over Italy's Camila Giorgi in the second round.
Should Swiatek win on Friday, she'll likely set up a blockbuster rematch against World No. 2 Simona Halep - the player that she beat en route to her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.
Like Swiatek, Fiona Ferro also had a breakthrough run at the 2020 French Open. The 23-year-old Frenchwoman reached the Round of 16 at her home Slam, and now in Melbourne she has proven that her Paris run was no fluke.
On Wednesday Ferro beat Elena Rybakina - who was a victim of hers at Roland Garros too - to reach the third round. This is the Frenchwoman's best ever result Down Under.
Iga Swiatek vs Fiona Ferro head-to-head
Iga Swiatek and Fiona Ferro have never faced each other before, so the head-to-head between the two is currently 0-0.
Iga Swiatek vs Fiona Ferro prediction
Iga Swiatek is quickly becoming one of the top names in tennis. The Pole is seen as one of the favorites for the title in Melbourne, given the utterly dominant nature of her win in Paris.
The 19-year-old has an attractive style of play that features all-out aggression. Her offensive firepower was on display in her previous match again as she routined the hard-hitting Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-4. Swiatek hit a total of 17 winners in the match.
Fiona Ferro meanwhile produced a strong display herself against another big hitter on Wednesday. Ferro was broken only once by Rybakina, but she broke the big-serving Russian thrice.
The Frenchwoman also kept her unforced errors under check, which is always a key element when playing an aggressive baseliner.
Ferro will look to deploy the same strategy against Swiatek, who is susceptible to overhitting when she's not finding her range. But considering the form she is in, Swiatek should be able to get over the line without much difficulty.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.