Roland Garros: Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020
Match details
Fixture: Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh
Date: 30 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: Approx. 2 pm CEST, 5.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh preview
Rising star Iga Swiatek faces veteran Su-Wei Hsieh for a place in the third round of the 2020 French Open on Wednesday.
Swiatek's commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over last year's runner-up Marketa Vondrousova in the first round was another example of why the Pole is so highly rated. In a stunning display, the 19-year-old dropped serve just once and broke the Czech five times to complete a rout in 63 minutes.
The former junior Wimbledon champion has been steadily rising over the last one year, breaking into the top 50 in early 2020. It was here at Roland Garros last year that Swiatek first showed her big-match temperament, as she made it to the fourth round.
The World No. 54 has also reached the Round of 16 at the Australian Open and the third round of the US Open since then.
With three Grand Slam doubles titles to her name, Su-Wei Hsieh has earned her fame as a doubles exponent. In fact, she is currently the No. 1 women's doubles player in the world.
But while Hsieh has tasted glory four times already in doubles this year, her singles exploits pale in comparison. The Chinese Taipei ace has a dismal 2-7 win-loss record for the year in singles, and she entered Roland Garros on a four-match losing streak.
However, Hsieh was able to hold her nerve in a topsy-turvy second set to complete a 6-3, 7-6(1) win over Austrian qualifier Barbara Haas in the first round.
Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Iga Swiatek and Su-Wei Hsieh, so their head-to-head record currently stands at 0-0.
Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh prediction
The cold conditions this year in Paris favor players who can hit through the court, and Iga Swiatek has made the best use of the circumstances. She struck 23 winners against 19 unforced errors in a power-packed performance against Vondrousova, refusing to allow her opponent too many long rallies.
After such a devastating display, Swiatek would undoubtedly be hungry and motivated to keep her run going at the French capital.
Given that Hsieh is not a top singles player, the advantage obviously lies with the Pole in this face-off. However, Swiatek would need to be wary of Hsieh's variety and finesse that she uses so liberally in doubles; the unpredictability factor could cause a few problems to the teenager.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.