Ashleigh Barty vs Iga Swiatek: Mutua Madrid Open: Prediction | Preview | H2H Analysis

It is a clash of former French Open champions as the top seed Ashleigh Barty faces the 14th seeded Iga Swiatek in the pre-quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open.  

Ashleigh Barty vs Iga Swiatek: Madrid Open Preview

Ashleigh Barty overcame a huge scare against the Slovenian player Tamara Zidansek in the second round of the Madrid Open. A solitary break in the opening set gave the Australian a 6-4 lead. However, Zidansek bounced back strongly by clinching the second set 6-1. 

The World number 1 delivered under pressure in the decider with two breaks of serve and won it 6-3 to book a spot in the Round of 16. 

Overall, Ashleigh Barty smashed 9 aces, claimed 68.1% of points on her first serve, and saved an impressive 9 out of 11 breakpoints. Barty will aim for a deep run in Madrid after losing in the quarterfinals in 2019 in straight sets to Simona Halep. 

On the other hand, Iga Swiatek had an easy outing against the German, Laura Siegemund beating her by a comfortable margin of 6-3 6-3 in the 2nd round of the Madrid Open. The stat of 66.7% stood out distinctly for the Pole in her points won on first serve and breakpoints served.

Ashleigh Barty vs Iga Swiatek: Head to Head Record

This is the first career meeting between Barty and Swiatek on the WTA Tour. The World number 1 is on a 13-match winning streak and the Pole is also in fantastic form on the red dirt with 9 wins in a row.

Ashleigh Barty vs Iga Swiatek: Mutua Madrid Open Game Analysis

Barty's strong serve helped in firing aces and bailed her out of tricky situations. The Australian's superior returning skills forced Zidansek to commit a lot of unforced errors on her inside-out forehand. 

The top seed did not put a foot wrong in the grueling baseline rallies in the first and third sets despite a huge blip in form in the second set.  Barty is targetting her fourth WTA title this year at the Madrid Open and has won more matches (22) than any other player on the tour.

Iga Swiatek was comfortably leading 6-3 3-0 against Siegemund before the German took three games in a row with a mix of fast court coverage and exquisite drop shots. The Pole took full advantage of Siegemund's inconsistency and repeated unforced errors to sail into the Round of 16 of the Madrid Open.

Swiatek will aim to improve her finishing skills after taking 11 match points for getting the win against Siegemund in the previous round. The Pole can struggle if her opponents play clutch tennis with the serve and volley strategy. 

Barty is one of the cleverest tacticians on the WTA Tour and can flummox opponents with her wicked backhand slices and deft volleys. Having just won the Stuttgart Open last week, she has been very comfortable on the red dirt putting her opponents under pressure with her come-from-behind victories.

Swiatek has just lost 8 games in the tournament with two straight-set victories against Alison Riske and Siegemund. Barty's better shot-making skills, composure in pressure situations, and winning more points in the long rallies would help her edge past the big-hitting Swiatek who will put up a spirited fight.

Prediction - Ashleigh Barty to win in three sets against Iga Swiatek at the Madrid Open 2021.

Featured Image Credits - Reuters