There are two players remaining in what was a loaded draw in the first WTA event in San Diego since 2015. Iga Swiatek continues an incredible year with her ninth final after a strong win over American Jessica Pegula in the semis. The #1 player in the world faces unseeded qualifier Donna Vekic. Neither player has had an easy road to the final, with four total sets dropped between the two finalists. The courts will be dry again on a beautiful day and the two deserving finalist will look to hoist the trophy in the final North American event before the Year-End Finals.
WTA San Diego Final Prediction
Iga Swiatek vs Donna Vekic
Head-to-head: 2-0 Swiatek
Swiatek is a heavy favorite on paper in this match. She is the best player in the world, has more than double the points of world #2 Ons Jabeur, and has been dominant in hard court events. It may not be totally straightforward as she has dropped two sets in three matches in San Diego. That may not seem significant but it is more than expected due to her lofty standards. She also looked poised to win the title last week in Ostrava but was upset by Barbara Krejcikova in the final.
Vekic has had an average year but has still failed to reach her heights of 2018-2020 when she was consistently in the Top 20. She ironically was seeded in both her prior meetings with Swiatek who was unseeded in both, though won each match on hard courts. Vekic had a good run this week beating Top 5 seeds Maria Sakkari and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the final. Though both players are elite talents, they struggle with errors and inconsistency while Swiatek is one of the most consistent players on tour.
Swiatek does not need an additional advantage, but the rain delay last night will work in her favor. The second semifinal had to be completed this morning. Though it was halfway through the third set, several hard fought games leading to a deciding tiebreak surely took its physical toll on Vekic who had to come back from a break down when the match restarted. Vekic has a good serve and will have to serve flawlessly to stay in the match against one of the best returners on tour.
Swiatek lost her last final after ten straight wins, so she did look human and Vekic should take some confidence from that. That match was indoors on a faster court than San Diego, and outside of grass and indoor hard, Swiatek has been nearly unbeatable. Swiatek has too many tools at her disposal and on top of being fully rested will win the first set convincingly and cruise to her eighth title of 2022.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
