United Cup 2023: Iga Swiatek vs Yulia Putintseva preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (POL) Iga Swiatek vs (KAZ) Yulia Putintseva
Date: December 31, 2022
Tournament: United Cup 2023
Round: Group stage
Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, Australia
Category: United Cup
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $15,000,000
Match timing: (Dec 31) Not before 3:30 pm local time, 4:30 am GMT, 10 am IST, (Dec 30) 11:30 pm EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Australia - 9Now & Stan Sport | UK & India - United Cup YouTube channel
Iga Swiatek vs Yulia Putintseva preview
Poland's World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will begin her United Cup 2023 campaign against Kazakhstan's 51st-ranked Yulia Putintseva in Brisbane on Saturday.
Swiatek has arrived Down Under following a career-best season that saw her capture a staggering eight titles from nine finals. Two of those were at the French Open and the US Open, bringing the 21-year-old the second and third Major trophies of her already illustrious career.
The top-ranked player carried her stellar form into the World Tennis League, a high-profile exhibition event held in Dubai earlier this month. Swiatek swatted aside the likes of Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before falling to Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the final.
She will now be eager to bounce back from that minor blip and lead her country to glory at the inaugural United Cup.
Three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Yulia Putintseva, meanwhile, can be a formidable opponent for anyone on her day. The Kazakh, who made the last eight at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto in 2022, made Belinda Bencic work hard for her win on the opening day of the United Cup.
The two-time WTA titlist broke the Olympic champion twice before going down 7-6(0), 6-3 during the Switzerland vs Kazakhstan tie on Thursday. She will look to bring that same tenacity and fighting spirit when she takes on Iga Swiatek on Saturday.
Iga Swiatek vs Yulia Putintseva head-to-head
Swiatek has a 1-0 lead in her head-to-head against Putintseva. The Pole secured a 6-4, 6-4 win in their only meeting so far at Ostrava in 2021.
Iga Swiatek vs Yulia Putintseva odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Iga Swiatek vs Yulia Putintseva prediction
As evident from her performance against Bencic, former World No. 27 Putintseva can be dangerous if she is on song. The petite Kazakh packs a lot of power in her groundstrokes, especially on the forehand wing. Her hard-hitting baseline play has troubled many top names in the past, including the likes of Caroline Wozniacki and Aryna Sabalenka.
However, her service woes could be detrimental to her chances of beating Swiatek. Against Bencic, Putintseva committed four double faults, and her first-serve percentage dropped to 62%. To put up resistance against an efficient returner like the Pole, Putintseva needs to produce an improved display on serve.
Although serve is not the strongest element of Swiatek's game, she more than makes up for it with her swift movement, pinpoint angles and solid returns. The World No. 1's relentless defense and her ability to effortlessly convert it into attack have also paid her rich dividends so far. She will look to bring that same strategy against Putintseva, who isn't the calmest under pressure.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.