Iga Swiatek won the Indian Wells Open, and now she's going to try to do the same at the Miami Open, with her first opponent being Camila Giorgi.
Swiatek has won the Sunshine Double once in her career. It happened back in 2022 when she went back-to-back in Indian Wells and Miami, so doing it again wouldn't be the biggest surprise, especially after she won the Indian Wells Open.
It would be surprising in the sense that there is a lot of parity in women's tennis right now, and there are many players who can win a WTA 1000 event. Her second-round opponent has a WTA 1000 title to her name, but she's not a player who would break into the Top 10.
Giorgi is a tricky player with a tremendous skillset who can beat any player on her day. The likelihood of her having that day on a specific day is low, but she's an opponent that Swiatek will have to take seriously.
Swiatek and Giorgi have played against each other before. The first time was back in 2019 when the Italian player destroyed her opponent 6-2, 6-0. The second time they met was two years later at the same event, the Australian Open, with the Polish player winning this time around 6-2, 6-4.
Swiatek's thing going for her is her stability from the baseline. Giorgi struggles with that, and if the opponent can push her around, they can be assured that she will likely make a mistake. Swiatek's problem could be her serve. It's not the best serve, but it's very attackable, which Giorgi will certainly do.
Despite all of that, Swiatek is the clear favorite, and I expect her to do really well. Giorgi hasn't looked spectacular in Indian Wells, and Swiatek is better. Sometimes, it really is that simple.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in two sets.