To the shock of everyone, Iga Swiatek is playing in the Bronze Medal Match, not the Gold one, at the Paris Olympics. Will she go home empty-handed when she meets giant-slayer Anna Karolina Schmiedlova? Or will she at least take home something? Our writers share their thoughts on the match. Predicting this match are Jordan Reynolds, Ateet Shrivastava, and Yesh Ginsburg.
Paris Olympics Bronze Medal Prediction
Iga Swiatek (Poland) vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Slovakia)
Jordan:
The outcome of this match is very dependent on Swiatek’s mood. If the world No. 1 is motivated to win a Bronze Medal after the crushing disappointment of her loss to Qinwen Zheng, she would win easily since there is nothing in Schmiedlova’s game to overwhelm her with. Swiatek should have enough motivation and quality to win bronze and stop Schmiedlova’s great run from ending with a medal. Even if she is not near her best, the Pole will probably still win.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Ateet:
It was one of the biggest losses of Swiatek’s career against Qinwen Zheng. Her forehand in the first set was completely off and the backhand started misfiring late in the second set. She was devastated after the match bu,t still has a chance to win the Bronze Medal for her country. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova’s dream run came to an end as she ran out of gas against Donna Vekic. I don’t know how much she can fight against Swiatek. This should be a quick straight-sets win for the World No.1.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Yesh:
Swiatek played somewhat poorly against Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals, then played an awful match against Qinwen Zheng in the semis. If she plays like that again, she’ll lose against Schmiedlova–who is playing the best tennis of her career this week. But you can’t expect Swiatek to play poorly, especially on this court.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
