Elina Svitolina was part of a round one blockbuster in Montreal, and she'll be part of that at the Cincinnati Masters as well, against Caroline Wozniacki.
Svitolina didn't have the best possible draw in Montreal getting a qualifier. Generally, a qualifier is not a big deal, but a qualifier named Danielle Collins is not what you want to see. The American smashed her comfortably, beginning what was a solid run that ended against Iga Swiatek.
It's not going to get any easier for Svitolina as she'll face Caroline Wozniacki this time around, another blockbuster that should pack the stands. Wozniacki made her return in Montreal as well, winning one match before losing to Marketa Vondrousova. It's going to be a very interesting match between players that know each other rather well.
It's been a while since they played, which is natural as Wozniacki spent the last three years away from the sport. Even so, they haven't played in about two years since Wozniacki stopped competing in 2020. When they did play in the past, Svitolina generally emerged on top, leading the H2H 4-1. Wozniacki's only win came in 2017 at the WTA Finals.
Okay, so this is a rather interesting matchup with several things needed to be pointed out. Elina Svitolina is in better form and has played far more matches lately compared to Wozniacki. The Danish player generally struggled against Svitolina and admitted during her Canadian Open campaign that fitness is an issue.
Considering all of that it's safe to assume that Svitolina will have the upper hand in most things. So can Wozniacki win? Yes, but she'll need a few things to go her way. I don't necessarily expect that to happen so I think Svitolina will prevail.
We're going to see a lot of long rallies and I think fitness will end up being crucial which is why I'm backing Svitolina.
Prediction: Elina Svitolina to win in two sets.