The second semifinal at the WTA Italian Open in Rome is set and features a blockbuster matchup between three-time champion Iga Swiatek and two-time champion Elina Svitolina. The Ukrainian stunned #2 seed Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinal, but can she repeat her feat, or will the four-time French Open champion prove to be too strong?
WTA Rome Semifinal Prediction
Iga Swiatek vs Elina Svitolina
Head-to-Head: Swiatek 4-2 Svitolina
Iga Swiatek played one of her best matches of the season and easily defeated Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinal. She suddenly appears to be a woman on a mission, as she has got her mojo back and is back to her dominant best on this surface. The timing couldn’t be better with the French Open looming. In this tournament, she’s played with more patience and has relied on her defense more, which is what she used to do when she was dominating on clay.
Elina Svitolina saved 16 out of 20 break points on her way to defeating Elena Rybakina in three sets and advancing to the Italian Open semifinal for the first time since 2018. After a slow start in the first set, Svitolina got a lot better from the second set onwards and put immense pressure on Rybakina’s serve. She made adjustments to her return position, which paid off.
Svitolina defeated Swiatek when they met earlier this season, and her aggressive returns on the first serve caused a lot of problems for the Polish player. However, on clay, Swiatek has more variation in her delivery, and overall, Svitolina will find it difficult to rush. Swiatek looks like her previous self, and in this mood, it’s difficult to stop her. Both players have played some of their best tennis at this tournament, and I expect a competitive match with Swiatek winning it.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
