Adelaide International 2022: Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (5) Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka

Date: 7 January 2021

Tournament: Adelaide International 2022

Round: Quarterfinal

Venue: Adelaide, Australia

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $703,580

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka preview

Fifth seed Iga Swiatek will take on former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in an exciting quarterfinal clash at the Adelaide International on Friday.

Swiatek was at her best during her Round of 16 clash against Leylah Fernandez, easily getting past the 2021 US Open finalist 6-1, 6-2. The defending champion was completely dominant, even stringing together 12 points in a row in the second set.

The Pole's performance was reminiscent of her title-winning run at Roland Garros in 2020. If Swiatek continues playing like this, she'll be one of the leading contenders at the Australian Open.

Victoria Azarenka at the 2022 Adelaide International

Victoria Azarenka defeated Priscilla Hon 6-3, 7-5 to secure her spot in the last eight. It was a tricky match for the two-time Grand Slam champion. After a relatively easy first set in which she didn't even face a break point, Azarenka was put to the test in the second set.

After Azarenka secured an early break, Hon immediately broke back and leveled the set at 2-2. Both players then held serve until the final game of the set, with the Australian serving at 5-6 to take it to a tie-break.

But it was at this moment that Azarenka stepped up her game and created three match points, converting at the second time of asking.

Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka head-to-head

Iga Swiatek and Victoria Azarenka have only faced off once before, with Azarenka defeating Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the 2020 US Open.

Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka prediction

Both players have been in fine form in their opening two matches this season, so it will be exciting to see them go toe-to-toe.

Azarenka struggled for large chunks of the 2021 season but started playing well towards the end, reaching the final at Indian Wells. The 32-year old seems to be getting back into top form, outclassing her opponents with controlled aggression and smart tactics.

Swiatek is playing good tennis as well. In her match against Fernandez, her athleticism and varied game play were on display. She moved brilliantly across the the court, mixing things up with lobs, drop shots and the like. A similar performance will likely pay rich dividends against the former World No. 1.

With both players playing well, it is difficult to say who has the edge. But there's something about Adelaide that causes Swiatek to play at a higher level. She won the title last year without dropping a set. The former Roland Garros champion looks unstoppable at the moment and should be able to get the better of Azarenka.

Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.

Also Check Out: Updated ATP Cup 2022 Results

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for three years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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Edited by Nihal Taraporvala