Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
Victoria Azarenka
Iga Swiatek
On June 24, in the second round of the Bad Homburg tournament, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek will go head-to-head. Here’s my take on the best bet for this upcoming clash.
Victoria Azarenka
The Belarusian star’s career peak is well behind her—she was once world No. 1 and a Grand Slam champion, but now, at nearly 36 years old, retirement is looming. Azarenka started this season ranked 20th in the world, but has since slid down to No. 105. She’s played 18 matches this year, winning nine of them.
Azarenka began this tournament in the qualifiers, first defeating American McNally 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Next came a grueling victory over Kudermetova—6-7, 6-3, 6-4—in a match that lasted 3 hours and 22 minutes. In the opening round of the main draw, she confidently dispatched Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-2.
Iga Swiatek
The Pole is enduring a surprisingly lackluster season by her standards—she hasn’t won a single tournament, despite consistently high-level play. Swiatek began the year as world No. 2, but has dropped to No. 8. Her best results have been semifinal runs at two majors, in Australia and France.
Of course, Swiatek has all it takes to get back to her best—she’s only 24, boasts five Grand Slam titles, and has spent many weeks atop the world rankings. This season, she’s played 42 matches and chalked up 32 wins.
Head-to-head
Statistically, these two have faced each other five times, with a significant advantage for the Pole—Swiatek leads 4-1. Their most recent meeting was earlier this year in Dubai, where Swiatek cruised to a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory.
Prediction
We’re in for a blockbuster showdown between two former world No. 1s. In almost every aspect, Swiatek holds the edge—she leads the head-to-head, is 12 years younger, and sits higher in the rankings. I expect Swiatek to have a decisive advantage here, and a bet on her to win with a -1.5 set handicap looks like a solid play.
