Iga Swiatek looks unstoppable at the 2024 Madrid Open, but could Beatriz Haddad Maia possibly be the woman to stop her?
The Polish player didn't finish last week's campaign in Stuttgart with a win, so her motivation this week has been tremendous. She's playing like a player on a mission, and after falling short last year in the Spanish capital, it's pretty clear why.
Haddad Maia found some solid tennis this week as well. Her win over Maria Sakkari was pretty impressive, as her season overall hasn't been that good. She can hurt the Pole, as proved, but their previous matches show that it's pretty unlikely.
Head-to-head:
So far, Swiatek and Haddad Maia have played three times, and the Polish player has won all three. The Brazilian won the first match between them in 2022, but then in 2023 at Roland Garros, Swiatek got her first win.
The most recent meeting happened at the United Cup earlier this year, and it was an easy win for the world no. 1, 6-2, 6-2, so generally, she's been better than the Brazilian player.
Her baseline play might help the Brazilian in Madrid if she can keep it consistent enough. It's not a given, but if she can send many balls back, then she might get some errors from Swiatek.
| Iga Swiatek | Beatriz Haddad Maia | |
| 2 | H2H | 1 |
| 1 | Rank | 14 |
| 22 | Age | 27 |
| 29-4 | 2024 W/L | 13-11 |
| 310-70 | Career W/L | 440-228 |
Prediction:
For the most part, Swiatek should be able to win in this match. She is the better player, she is the better clay player, she moves better, and she generally has more consistent weapons.
Haddad Maia did find some solid tennis here so far, but I'm pretty skeptical that it will matter much against the best player in the world right now. I think Swiatek will win in two simple sets because she's simply the better player and looks very motivated this week.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in two sets.
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