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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs Anna Blinkova
Date: June 29, 2023
Tournament: Bad Homburg Open 2023
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Bad Homburg, Germany
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $259,303
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Iga Swiatek vs Anna Blinkova preview
Four-time Major champion Iga Swiatek will take on World No. 39 Anna Blinkova in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Bad Homburg Open on Thursday.
Swiatek kicked off her campaign here with a three-set win over former Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria in the first round. She then took on qualifier Jil Teichmann in the second round. The top seed faced three break points in her first service game of the match, but managed to hold serve.
It was smooth sailing for Swiatek after that as she broke Teichmann's serve twice to clinch the opener. The second set was the usual demolition job by the World No. 1 as she dropped just one game in it to win the match 6-3, 6-1.
Blinkova, meanwhile, defeated Sabine Lisicki in three sets to set up a second-round date with former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. The Russian fell behind an early break to trail 3-1 in the first set, but managed to get back on serve soon enough.
Blinkova then snagged a break to lead 5-4, but was unable to close out the set after that as Fernandez broke back immediately to level the score. The Russian once again went up a break to lead 6-5 and was able to wrap up the set on her second try.
Blinkova was in command of the second set after that, breaking Fernandez's serve twice to win the contest 7-5, 6-2.
Iga Swiatek vs Anna Blinkova head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Iga Swiatek vs Anna Blinkova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Anna Blinkova prediction
After a slow start, Swiatek took the reins to score a routine win over Teichmann. Her serve on grass is looking much better than last year, though her forehand could still use some more work. But she is keen to figure out the surface and based on how she has played so far, she appears to be on the right track.
After nabbing a closely fought first set, Blinkova made light work of Fernandez in the next to win the match. The Russian played more aggressively than usual and was rewarded for her efforts. She'll need to similarly take the initiative against Swiatek too, as playing passively could cost her the match against the World No. 1.
However, it's tough to stop Swiatek once she gets in the zone. She appears to be playing at a pretty decent level at the moment. Blinkova has the potential to make it a competitive showdown, but the top seed should be able to figure out a way to get over the finish line.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.
