Rain upset the schedule a little, but we’ll still get the whole third round of women’s singles on Day 4 of the Paris Olympics. There are some great matchups in store, including Angelique Kerber’s attempt to prolong her career for yet another round. Will she win? As always, our writers share their thoughts. We split Tuesday’s eight matches between this and a separate article, featuring Coco Gauff vs Donna Vekic. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Manuel Traquete, and Ateet Shrivastava. Who do you think will advance?
Paris Olympics Women’s Day 4 Predictions
Iga Swiatek (Poland) vs Xiyu Wang (China)
Jordan:
There is not much that can be said about this one. Swiatek is the best clay-court player in the world by a wide margin, and there are very few women in the draw with a chance of stopping her. Wang, while a good player, is not one of them.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Manuel:
Beating Iga Swiatek on clay is arguably the most difficult task in women’s tennis at the moment and it is even more so at this venue. It’s already big news when the world #1 loses a set on clay, let alone a match. Wang has done well to come this far, but she has clearly drawn the short end of the stick here.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Ateet:
Xiyu Wang looks in great form and has already taken out Linda Noskova and the in-form Diana Shnaider, in the previous rounds. The problem for her is she will face Iga Swiatek in the third round. Swiatek is the heavy favorite to win the Gold this week and has got off to a good start. Wang won’t have much of an impact if the world No.1 performs at her usual calibre.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Angelique Kerber (Germany) vs Leylah Fernandez (Canada)
Jordan:
Kerber has proven many people wrong during her career, but even I have been left shocked by her level in the opening two rounds. Fernandez was also terrific in her first two matches, meaning this could be one of the matches of the tournament so far. I feel Fernandez’s best level is slightly better than Kerber’s, but that is not ruling out the German’s chances.
Prediction: Fernandez in 3
Manuel:
Kerber has been playing like someone who really doesn’t want to finish her career and she will definitely have her chances here even if Fernandez is playing well herself. If Kerber can maintain the level she has shown in the first two rounds, she could advance here.
Prediction: Kerber in 3
Ateet:
Kerber has been in horrible form all year but she is giving her all in her final tournament. She has played two great matches to reach the third round. She showed some great defense towards the end of her match against Jacqueline Cristian in what was a brilliant match of tennis. Leylah Fernandez beat Kerber en route to the US Open final in 2021 and is playing some good tennis this Olympics. Kerber has had an unexpected run and I expect it to continue.
Prediction: Kerber in 3
Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) vs Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic)
Jordan:
Both women were superb in the last round, especially Svitolina in the final two sets. Despite Krejcikova’s status as a former French Open champion, I favor Svitolina slightly more on clay. It is the surface that gives her the best chance to counter Krejcikova’s serve and variety.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Manuel:
Krejcikova is fresh off a Wimbledon title and after struggling a lot in the first round she played at a much higher level Monday. Svitolina got a great win against Pegula herself and is playing very good tennis. This should be a very tight match decided by small details.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 3
Ateet:
Krejcikova had a much easier second-round match as she was dialled in determined to get this done quicker than her first-round match. She has the form and ability to go deep this week but the matches are only getting tougher. Elina Svitolina came back from a set down to beat Jessica Pegula in the second round. This was a big win for Svitolina and she will hope to build on this confidence and beat Krejcikova. Tough to call but I will go with Krejcikova because of her form.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 3
Danielle Collins (United States vs Camila Osorio (Colombia)
Jordan:
This promises to be a fun match. Osorio disarmed the big-hitting Jelena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska in the last two rounds, and will try to do the same against Collins’ power. What might make the difference is the American managed to overcome Caroline Wozniacki’s excellent defense in the previous round. The rhythm she gained from playing against a great defensive player should help her against Osorio.
Prediction: Collins in 2
Manuel:
Osorio is having a dream run here in Paris and she will be trying to win a third consecutive match as an underdog. Collins is having a really great season but she is not exactly playing great so far this week; Osorio’s fairy tale could well continue here.
Prediction: Osorio in 3
Ateet:
Collins was in a tough battle with Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. The American was down a break in the third set but composed herself and stopped making errors. She hit some impeccable winners in this match. Camila Osorio is a solid clay courter and has two impressive wins under her belt. She has faced two of the flattest hitters on tour so far which will help her against Collins. However, Osorio made lots of unforced errors in the second round and will need to minimise that against Collins.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
