US Open 2022: Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (6) Aryna Sabalenka.
Date: September 8, 2022.
Tournament: US Open 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: New York, United States.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $60,102,000.
Match timing: Approx. 8:30 pm local time, 12:30 am GMT and 6 am IST.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka preview
2022 French Open champion Iga Swiatek will take on World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of the 2022 US Open on Thursday.
Following straight sets victories over Jasmine Paolini, Sloane Stephens, and Lauren Davis, Swiatek needed three sets to get past Jule Niemeier in the fourth round. The World No. 1 then took on Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals.
The American was the first to go up a break in the opening set and led by 3-2. However, Swiatek won the next four games in a row to take the set. The second set started with four straight breaks of serve. The duo managed to eke out a hold of serve over the next couple of games, but the break fest commenced once again.
There were six consecutive service breaks which eventually led to a tie-break. They struggled to hold serve once again, but Swiatek stepped up her game to win the match 6-3 7-6 (4) and reach her first semifinal at the US Open.
IGA SWIATEK IS INTO THE SEMIS https://t.co/0ylzbW3bgT
Sabalenka kicked off her campaign with an easy win over Catherine Harrison. She then saved a couple of match points during her second-round victory over Kaia Kanepi before defeating Clara Burel and Danielle Collins to set up a quarterfinal showdown against 2016 US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova.
She jumped to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. While she was dialed in from the start, Pliskova looked completely flat. The Belarusian soon nabbed the first set with ease. The former World No. 1 played much better in the second set. Both players held serve rather comfortably and pushed the set into a tie-break.
Sabalenka eventually came out on top to win 6-1, 7-6 (4) and reach her second straight semifinal in New York.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka head-to-head
They have faced off four times before this, with Swiatek leading 3-1 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Italian Open in straight sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka odds
(All odds sourced from BetMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka prediction
This will be their fourth meeting this year. Swiatek has won the previous three in straight sets, so Sabalenka has her task cut out for her. The Belarusian did play a pretty good match against Pliskova in the quarterfinals. Her serve, which has let her down quite often this year, worked well. She didn't face a single break point during the match and hit only three double faults.
Swiatek, on the other hand, had an off day with her serve in the previous round. She lost serve six times, though managed to balance it out by returning well. Sabalenka finished the match with 30 winners and 28 unforced errors, compared to 22 winners and 32 unforced errors for the World No. 1.
Sabalenka will be feeling confident based on her most recent performance but will need to raise her level if she wants to get the better of Swiatek. The Belarusian's hard-hitting brand of tennis often overwhelms her opponents, but the World No. 1 has figured out her gameplay. She'll either need to change tactics or execute her usual plan without making any errors to get a shot at winning.
While Swiatek has won two Major titles already, Sabalenka is aiming to reach her maiden Grand Slam final. Nerves got the better of her during last year's semifinal match against Leylah Fernandez and could hinder her yet again. In the end, considering Swiatek's results this year, it's tough to see her losing this one.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.