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Match details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (16) Victoria Azarenka
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Date: 12 May 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 16).
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Match timing: Not before 1:00 pm local time, 11:30 am GMT, 7 am ET, 5 pm IST
Prize money: €2,527,250.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka preview
Iga Swiatek and Victoria Azarenka will lock horns in a blockbuster battle between the current and former World No. 1 in the third round of the Italian Open on Thursday.
Since her second-round exit from the Dubai Open in February, Swiatek has remained unbeaten. The irrepressible Pole has won 24 matches in a row, including titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Stuttgart.
The 20-year-old pulled out of last week's Madrid Open to rest and recuperate. Returning to action in Rome, she showed hardly any rust in her second-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Wednesday.
Swiatek dropped her serve a couple of times in the first set before pulling away to a 6-3, 6-0 win.
With the victory, the defending champion is now on a seven-match winning streak in the Italian capital, which she would like to extend when she meets Azarenka.
Azarenka, meanwhile, started the season in fine fashion, reaching the quarterfinals in Adelaide and the round of 16 at the Australian Open. But since then, she has struggled due to persistent injuries and a lack of consistency.
Having arrived in Rome with a 10-6 win-loss record for the season, the two-time Major winner is looking to regain her confidence at a tournament where she has reached the final before.
Azarenka started her Italian Open campaign on Monday with a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of Viktorija Golubic. The 16th seed was equally impressive in the second round on Wednesday, beating Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4.
Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka head-to-head
Swiatek and Azarenka are tied 1-1 in the head-to-head. The Belarusian beat Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 in their first-ever meeting at the 2020 US Open. The Pole avenged that defeat earlier this year in Adelaide with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 win.
Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka odds
All odds sourced from BetMGM
Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka prediction
Considering the imperious form that Swiatek has shown of late, it's hard to bet against her. The Pole has hardly put a foot wrong over the past couple of months.
The top seed struck 15 winners and broke her opponent seven times in her breezy second-round win in Rome on Wednesday. The surface gives the former French Open champion an extra edge, helping her time the ball well. Her movement and ability to mix things up with dropshots and lobs should give her an advantage against the 32-year-old Azarenka, who doesn't move all that well on clay.
However, Swiatek needs to be careful on serve against a returner of Azarenka's calibre. The Belarusian likes to step into the court and crack weaker second serves for winners, so the Pole needs to ensure she maintains a high first-serve percentage.
All things considered, Swiatek should not have too much trouble disposing of Azarenka and moving on in the tournament.
Prediction: Swiatek to win in two tight sets.
