Stuttgart Open 2022: Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (8) Emma Raducanu.
Date: 22 April 2022.
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2022.
Round: Quarterfinals.
Venue: Stuttgart, Germany.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu preview
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will take on eighth seed Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on Thursday.
The Pole has had an impressive 2022 season so far with 29 wins from 32 matches. She started with quarter-final and semi-final appearances at the Adelaide International 1 and Australian Open respectively. Swiatek followed this up with a shock second-round exit at the Dubai Tennis Championships, losing to eventual champion Jelena Ostapenko.
The Pole then won the Qatar Open by thrashing Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-0 in the final. She went on to secure the Indian Wells Open as well, beating Maria Sakkari in the title clash. Swiatek became the new World No. 1 after winning her first match against Viktorija Golubic in Miami.
The Pole went on to win the competition by beating Naomi Osaka in the final. Swiatek admirably did not drop a single set during her victorious Miami Open campaign.
Representing Poland in their Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tie against Romania, Swiatek defeated Andreea Prisacariu and Mihaela Buzarnescu, dropping just one game overall.
The 20-year-old then entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as the top seed. After receiving a bye to the second round, she beat Eva Lys 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Iga Swiatek continues to channel glory-years Graf & Serena by overwhelming the opposition
6-1 6-1 over Eva Lys in Swiatek's opening round in Stuttgart on indoor clay
Swiatek has now won 26 consecutive sets: THIRTEEN of those sets by 6-0 or 6-1
#Getty https://t.co/l7wfZYzqv9
Raducanu endured a disappointing start to the season, suffering a first-round elimination at the Sydney International. She followed this up with a second-round exit at the Australian Open. The Brit then entered the Abierto Zapopan as the top seed but was forced to retire in her opening match against Daria Saville due to an injury.
Raducanu beat Caroline Garcia in the opening round of the Indian Wells Open but lost to Petra Martic despite serving for the match in the third set. She then suffered a three-set defeat against Katerina Siniakova in the second round of the Miami Open.
Raducanu recovered from those setbacks to post her first victory on clay by beating Tereza Martincova 7-5, 7-5 in the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup. However, she was beaten comprehensively by Marketa Vondrousova in her second singles match as Great Britain lost 2-3 to the Czech Republic.
The US Open champion entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as the eighth seed and started by beating Storm Sanders 6-1, 6-2. She faced Tamara Korpatsch in the next round and bageled the German in the opening set. Korpatsch did well to take the second set 6-2 but Raducanu won the third set 6-1 to book her place in the quarterfinals.
.@EmmaRaducanu sets up a quarter final clash with World No.1 Iga Swiatek! The Porsche Brand Ambassador comes back after losing the second set and wins 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 over Tamara Korpatsch. See you tomorrow, Emma!
#porschetennis #PTGP22 https://t.co/6wZ8sKuneD
Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu head-to-head
Friday's quarterfinal will be the first meeting between the two players, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0. The winner of this match will face either Laura Siegemund or Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu odds
Iga Swiatek is heavily favored to win the match because of her dominant performances this year. The Pole has won her last 20 matches, picking up the title in three successive WTA 1000 tournaments.
Raducanu, on the other hand, has had a disappointing season so far, winning only five out of 11 matches.
All odds sourced from Oddschecker.
Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu prediction
Swiatek has not dropped a single set in her last 13 matches and comes into this clash brimming with confidence.
The Pole's favorite surface is clay and she's won 13 of her last 15 matches on the surface, including triumphing at the Italian Open last year. Swiatek is likely to be aggressive from the start of the match. Her heavy topspin forehand, powerful backhand and movement make her a formidable opponent.
Raducanu has a pretty strong serve and her backhand is a major weapon. But she lacks consistency and can often leak unforced errors. The Brit's fitness is also a cause for concern. The 19-year-old had a foot blister that restricted her movement against Vondrousova in the Billie Jean King Cup. If that problem resurfaces, she will be blown out of the water by a player of Swiatek's quality.
The 2021 US Open champion is a fine talent who is capable of putting up a tough fight. But Swiatek is playing at a whole different level and should come through.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.