Preview

Iga Swiatek vs Yulia Putintseva: Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

Preview

Iga Swiatek and Yulia Putintseva are set to face off in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Thursday. This will be the fifth time that the two players have met, with Swiatek winning three of their previous four encounters. Swiatek is the top seed in Rome and is coming off a victory at the Stuttgart Open last week. The Pole has been in impressive form this season, winning four titles and reaching the final of the Australian Open. Putintseva, meanwhile, is ranked 30th in the world and has reached the third round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time this season. The Kazakhstani is a former top-20 player and has won two WTA titles in her career.

Head-to-Head

Swiatek and Putintseva have met four times previously, with Swiatek winning three of those matches. Their most recent meeting came in the second round of the Australian Open this year, which Swiatek won in straight sets.

H2H Rankings Progression

The table below shows the progression of Swiatek and Putintseva's WTA rankings since their first meeting in 2021.

| Year | Swiatek | Putintseva | |---|---|---| | 2021 | 15 | 45 | | 2022 | 1 | 31 | | 2023 | 1 | 30 |

Prediction

Swiatek is the clear favorite to win this match. The Pole is in better form and has a better head-to-head record against Putintseva. However, Putintseva is a dangerous opponent and has the ability to upset Swiatek if she is not at her best. Ultimately, Swiatek's consistency and power should be too much for Putintseva. The Pole is likely to win in straight sets and advance to the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.