The Stuttgart final seems a matchup between the top two seeds as Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka finally face off for the first time this year. Swiatek leads the head to head 4-2 including wins at last year’s final and Rome while Sabalenka was a winner at the WTA Finals in each of the last two years.
Check out all the Swiatek vs Sabalenka Head to Head matches.
Swiatek will come into this one well rested thanks to Ons Jabeur’s early retirement in their semi final clash. She was 3-0 up when the match was called to an early end with the Tunisian unable to compete having picked up an injury in the first game of the match. Swiatek will be delighted with how her return has gone so far this week with the Pole playing for the first time in over a month. “I’m just happy that I can play good tennis, even though I wasn’t practicing a lot and even though my break was pretty long. I’m happy that I could just be here and enjoy this. Honestly, I have only positive thoughts.” she said.
Sabalenka’s superb 2023 continues with her fourth final of the year confirmed after thrashing Anastasia Potapova in the semi finals. She was on top form on return, taking the Russian’s second serve apart during the 6-1 6-2 win. “I think I was really focused, and I think from the very first point I was playing really aggressive,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I didn’t give [Potapova] much time. I think that’s why the match finished like that quick. But anyway, she’s a great player, and I think in the future she’s going to be a top player.”
Sabalenka is much improved from last year’s event, where she suffered a 6-2 6-2 loss to Swiatek. While still clay courts, the indoor arena conditions do allow for aggressive styles to flourish in a way that they don’t usually on the surface. This should give the second seed hope that she can avenge last year’s final but it will require a stellar serving day, which have been more common recently. There is a potential that Swiatek’s match sharpness will not be all there just yet after a stunted week and Sabalenka at her current level is more than good enough to spring a shock and make a dent in the No.1’s still large points lead in the rankings.
Prediction – Aryna Sabalenka in three sets
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