Eastbourne International 2021: Elina Svitolina vs Paula Badosa preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Elina Svitolina vs Paula Badosa
Date: 22 June 2021
Tournament: Viking International Eastbourne 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Eastbourne, Great Britain
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $565,530
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Elina Svitolina vs Paula Badosa preview
Second seed Elina Svitolina will face a stern test in the shape of Roland Garros quarterfinalist Paula Badosa in the first round of the Eastbourne International on Tuesday.
Svitolina has had a mixed season thus far and is still searching for her first title of 2021. At Roland Garros, the Ukrainian bowed out in the third round after losing to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.
She began her grasscourt season at the Bett1open in Berlin, but fell at the first hurdle to Ekaterina Alexandrova. The World No. 5 will be desperate to find some form this week ahead of Wimbledon.
Badosa, on the other hand, is in the form of her life. The Spaniard had a spectacular claycourt campaign, registering a 17-3 win-loss record with semifinal finishes in Charleston and Madrid, and a first tour-level title in Belgrade.
The 23-year-old also advanced to the Roland Garros quarterfinals, where she was defeated by Tamara Zidansek 7-5, 4-6, 8-6.
Badosa heads into the grasscourt swing at a career-high ranking of World No. 33 and will hope to build on the success she has had this year.
Elina Svitolina vs Paula Badosa head-to-head
The first-round encounter in Eastbourne will be the first meeting between Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0
Elina Svitolina vs Paula Badosa prediction
Elina Svitolina could not have asked for a tougher first-round match just when she's looking to find her feet on the surface and gain some confidence.
The Ukrainian comes into the match on the back of a particularly damaging second-round defeat in Berlin. Svitolina held multiple set points in the second set against Alexandrova, but failed to capitalize, losing the set and the match in the process.
That said, the Ukrainian's counterpunching style has worked well on grass in the past, as evidenced by her run to the Wimbledon semifinals two years ago.
Paula Badosa, meanwhile, does not have a great record on grass. However, she has made huge improvements since her last match on the surface two years ago.
The Spaniard's power and consistency from the baseline make her a difficult opponent on any surface. But given this will be her first match on grass this year, she might be a little rusty in the opening exchanges against Svitolina.
It also remains to be seen if the Spaniard has fully recovered from a physically and mentally draining claycourt season.
If Badosa can find her range early, she may be able to put Svitolina on the backfoot, but the Ukrainian should have enough in the tank to come through.
Prediction: Elina Svitolina to win in three sets.