WTA Finals 2021: Paula Badosa vs Iga Swiatek preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (5) Iga Swiatek vs (7) Paula Badosa
Date: 15 November 2021
Tournament: Akron WTA Finals 2021
Round: Round robin (Group Teotihuacán)
Venue: Guadalajara, Mexico
Category: Year-ending championships
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $5,000,000
Match timing: 2.00 pm local time, 8.00 pm GMT, 4 pm EST, 1.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Paula Badosa vs Iga Swiatek preview
Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa will face each other in their final round-robin match at the 2021 WTA Finals on Monday.
Swiatek is out of the running for the knockout rounds following consecutive losses to Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari, but she will be hoping to end her season on a high. On the other hand, Badosa is currently on an eight-match winning streak, which stretches back to her sensational Indian Wells title.
The Spaniard has already qualified for the semifinals as the group winner after beating Sabalenka and Sakkari in her previous two matches here in Guadalajara. She will be keen to keep her run of good form going with another convincing performance on Monday.
Paula Badosa vs Iga Swiatek head-to-head
Paula Badosa leads Iga Swiatek in their current head-to-head with a slender 1-0 margin. The 24-year-old beat her opponent in two tight sets at the Tokyo Olympics this year.
Paula Badosa and Iga Swiatek prediction
Iga Swiatek will be keen to avoid another demoralizing loss at the end of her up-and-down season. But to do that against the red-hot Paula Badosa, the Pole will have to find her absolute best tennis.
Both women boast of quick footwork and strong shot-tolerance, which is particularly useful in slow conditions. But Swiatek is more prone to leaking costly unforced errors when she is deprived of time, and that is something she will have to be wary of.
Paula Badosa has been particularly impressive on serve at the WTA Finals thus far. She has maintained a win-rate of over 70% on her first serve, having struck a whopping 10 aces in her match against Maria Sakkari.
Iga Swiatek has also done decently on serve, but double faults have been a bit of a problem for her.
Badosa can transition very quickly from defense to offense, which could trouble the hard-hitting Swiatek. If the Spaniard can assert her dominance during the longer exchanges and stay agile on her feet, she should be able to clinch her third victory in Guadalajara.
Prediction: Paula Badosa to win in three sets.