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Match details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (2) Aryna Sabalenka
Date: April 23, 2023
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2023
Round: Final
Venue: Stuttgart, Germany
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Indoor Clay
Prize money: $780,637
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka preview
Defending champion Iga Swiatek will square off against World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Sunday.
Following a first-round bye, Swiatek knocked out Qinwen Zheng in straight sets in the second round. She took on former champion Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals, where she staged a comeback to oust the Czech in three sets. The World No. 1 then faced Ons Jabeur in the semifinals.
Swiatek held serve with ease to kick things off, after which she broke Jabeur's serve in the next game to go 2-0 up. She held serve comfortably in the subsequent game as well, but it was during this point that her opponent injured herself. The Tunisian was unable to continue and was forced to retire, sending the defending champion into the final once again.
Meanwhile, after an opening-round bye, Sabalenka defeated Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets to make the last eight. She then scored a comeback victory over Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. The Belarusian faced Anastasia Potapova in the semifinals.
The first set was quite one-sided as Sabalenka dished out a breadstick to her opponent to clinch it. Potapova raised her level in the second set, but it simply wasn't enough. The Belarusian broke her opponent's serve twice to go 4-0 up and held on to the lead to win the match 6-1, 6-2.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka head-to-head
Swiatek leads Sabalenka 4-2 in the head-to-head. The latter won their previous encounter at the 2022 WTA Finals in three sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka prediction
Sabalenka's relentless hitting overwhelmed Potapova in the previous round. The Belarusian was superior in every aspect of the game. She won 76% of her first-serve points and lost just three points on serve in the second set. She erased all three break points that she faced, while constantly attacking her opponent's serve, winning 55% of points on return.
Jabeur's untimely injury in the semifinals meant Swiatek didn't have to do much to reach the title round. The Pole remained unbeaten during last year's clay season, and it all started here in Stuttgart. She defeated Sabalenka in straight sets in the final last year.
As for the Belarusian, she has reached the final here for the third year in a row. After losing four matches in a row to Swiatek last year, Sabalenka finally snapped her losing streak to defeat her younger opponent in their most recent encounter.
Swiatek's second serve puts her in a spot of bother at times. She also struggles against players who are capable of hitting her off the court, which includes Sabalenka. This new and improved version of the Belarusian has been a force to be reckoned with all year long so far.
However, Swiatek is easily the best clay court player on the women's tour at the moment. Considering Sabalenka's current form, she's likely to make things quite difficult, but the World No. 1 should be able to defend her title successfully on Sunday.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.
