WTA Finals 2022: Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (7) Aryna Sabalenka.
Date: November 6, 2022.
Tournament: WTA Finals 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, United States.
Category: Year-ending championships.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $5,000,000.
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 8 pm ET, 12 am GMT and 5:30 am IST.
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka preview
Three-time Major champion Iga Swiatek will take on World No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of the 2022 WTA Finals on Sunday.
Swiatek defeated Daria Kasatkina and Caroline Garcia in straight sets to top her group and secure a spot in the last four. She faced Coco Gauff in her final round-robin match. The teenager held a couple of break points early on in the first set but failed to capitalize on them as the World No. 1 managed to hold serve.
Swiatek then broke her opponent's serve twice en route to bagging four consecutive games and claiming the set. The second set was even more one-sided as the Pole dished out a bagel to win the match 6-3, 6-0.
Sabalenka won her first group match against Ons Jabeur in three sets but lost to Maria Sakkari in straight sets. She then took on Jessica Pegula in a must-win encounter.
Sabalenka secured a break of serve in the very first game of the match. She snagged another break to go 5-2 up. Serving for the set, the Belarusian held four set points but was unable to wrap it up as she lost serve. However, she broke her opponent's serve in the very next game to clinch the set.
Sabalenka secured an early break in the second set to lead 2-0, but Pegula leveled the score immediately. The World No. 7 then nabbed another break in the eighth game to go 5-3 up but failed to serve out the match in the following game as she was broken.
With Pegula serving at 6-5 to stay in the match, Sabalenka broke her serve for the final time to win 6-3, 7-5, and reach the semifinals here for the first time.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka head-to-head
Swiatek leads Sabalenka 4-1 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 US Open in three sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka odds
(Odds courtesy of Oddschecker)
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka prediction
Swiatek has been flawless in the tournament so far, putting up yet another commanding display of tennis to defeat Gauff. For Sabalenka, it has been a bumpy ride, quite similar to her overall season. The Belarusian played some great shots against Pegula in the previous match but made some costly errors too.
Swiatek has won all four of their encounters this year, while Sabalenka's only victory over the World No. 1 was at last year's WTA Finals. Perhaps she could draw some inspiration from that match to turn the tables on the Pole.
Swiatek is able to read Sabalenka's serve quite well, which allows her to take the ball early and rush her opponent. This leads to the Belarusian being put on the back foot and often committing errors as a result.
The three-time Major champion has been a beacon of consistency this season, while her opponent has been the opposite.
Sabalenka has the fight and the game to make it a competitive match, but Swiatek is likely to prevail in the end.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.
Also Check Out: Iga Swiatek Parents