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Match details
Fixture: (1) Simona Halep vs Iga Swiatek
Date: 4 October 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: 11 am CEST, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports Select / Disney+ Hotstar VIP | Europe - Eurosport
Simona Halep vs Iga Swiatek preview
Simona Halep entered this year's French Open as the overwhelming favorite. And with the exit of Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, the expectations on Halep to win the title have only increased further.
The Romanian has now won 17 matches in a row, including 13 consecutive matches on clay. Her last loss came at the Australian Open back in January.
Halep's next opponent, Iga Swiatek, is a rising Polish player who is widely touted as a star in the making. The 19-year-old is a former Wimbledon junior champion, and has been moving swiftly up the pro ranks.
Swiatek reached her first WTA final in Lugano last year, as well as her first Slam Round of 16 - right here at Roland Garros.
In 2020, she has reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the third round at the US Open. It goes without saying that the Pole would be keen to build on those results and go a step or two further in Paris.
Simona Halep vs Iga Swiatek head-to-head
Simona Halep leads the head-to-head against Iga Swiatek 1-0. The two players had met at the same stage at last year's French Open, where Halep won comprehensively.
Simona Halep vs Iga Swiatek prediction
Simona Halep is undoubtedly the best clay-court player in women's tennis right now, and she firmly believes she belongs at the top of the women's game.
The Romanian is an intelligent player who uses her craft and variety very well. She has the ability to play offensively, but can also counterpunch effectively against the biggest of hitters. Her movement on the court is among the best in the game.
Halep has been especially dominant this week, losing only 12 games in three matches. That included a comprehensive 6-1, 6-0 revenge win over Amanda Anisimova in the third round on Friday.
Iga Swiatek, on the other hand, is considerably less established but probably just as talented. The daughter of former Olympic rower Tomasz Swiatek, the Pole has great groundstrokes and is not afraid to come to the net and finish points.
Her second serve is an area of weakness that Halep can attack, so Swiatek will need a high percentage of first serves on Sunday.
The teenager has been in great form this week. She has registered straight sets win over three tough opponents - 2019 finalist Marketa Vondrousova in the first round, tough veteran Su Wei-Hsieh in the second and former World No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard in the third.
Having been at this stage before, Swiatek will probably play more freely this time against Halep. And if she can do that, she will be able to give the 2018 champion a good match.
Prediction: Simona Halep to win in three sets.
