Italian Open 2023: Iga Swiatek vs Donna Vekic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (21) Donna Vekic.
Date: May 15, 2023.
Tournament: Italian Open 2023.
Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16).
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €3,572,618.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Iga Swiatek vs Donna Vekic preview
Iga Swiatek and Donna Vekic are all set to square off in the Round of 16 at the Italian Open on Monday.
Vekic is in the midst of an impressive season, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and winning the title in Monterrey (her first since 2021), defeating Caroline Garcia in the final.
At the Italian Open, the Croat fought back from a set down against both Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Liudmila Samsonova to book her spot against the World No. 1.
Swiatek, meanwhile, will be pleased with how her season is shaping up. She won at Doha and Stuttgart while reaching the finals in Dubai and Madrid. Swiatek has claimed back-to-back titles at the Italian Open; she has the distinction of dropping just one set in her last three appearances in Rome.
The 21-year-old open has been in imperious form so far, handing a double bagel to her second-round opponent, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The third round was not much different, with Swiatek dropping just two games en route to her victory against Lesia Tsurenko.
Iga Swiatek vs Donna Vekic head-to-head
Swiatek has a 3-0 head-to-head lead over Vekic. Their most recent meeting came in the 2022 San Diego Open final, with the Pole winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
Iga Swiatek vs Donna Vekic odds
(The odds will be updated when released)
Iga Swiatek vs Donna Vekic prediction
Swiatek is the heavy favorite heading into this clash. She has dropped just two games in Rome and has looked in great touch. But Vekic is an experienced campaigner and shouldn't be counted out completely.
Swiatek is a magnificent player on clay. As mentioned earlier, she has won this tournament twice in a row and is also the defending French Open champion. Her groundstrokes, especially her heavy-topspin forehand, swift transitions, and on-court movement are second to none on this surface.
Vekic doesn't enjoy clay as much as hardcourts, on which she has won most of her WTA titles. The Croat will have to play a flawless match to have any chance against the World No. 1.
While Vekic will give it all she has, expect Swiatek to come out on top in this one.
Pick: Swiatek to win in three sets.