Reigning world number one, Iga Swiatek will face tennis phenom Mirra Andreeva in the 2024 Cincinnati Open quarter-final.
This matchup nearly happened earlier this year at Roland Garros when Swiatek won her fourth trophy in the French capital. The Polish player bested Coco Gauff in an exciting match to secure yet another final at the French Open.
Andreeva was in the other semi-final but was beaten by Jasmine Paolini. It would have been a wonderful moment for a first match between them because this matchup is a matchup of the future.
Swiatek is clearly ahead now, but in a few years, the Polish player will still be young enough, while Andreeva will be the age Swiatek is right now.
With their talent and affinity for clay, this matchup will likely be a Roland Garros final one day. For now, it is the Cincinnati Open quarter-final, and it promises to be very interesting.
After a shaky first match, Swiatek is back to her machine-like domination at the WTA 1000 event. Andreeva has been super solid, and her previous match was a revenge win over Paolini.
The teenager has looked way more comfortable on the hard courts compared to last year and is on pace to finish this year with a career-high in wins. Can she beat Swiatek, though?
The two are players of a different profile. The world number one is far more physically stronger, and she's worked on this aspect of her game a lot in recent years. Andreeva is still a teenager and hasn't fully grown yet.
Her game is way less of that hard-hitting style that Swiatek loves to employ and focuses more on finesse. She's capable of hitting some incredible angles, even though her power might not be there.
That will give her some chances against the top seed because the Polish player can fall into the overhitting trap. If the Russian player can return the balls steadily and with some spin, there is a chance that her opponent might just overhit often.
It's not a huge chance due to how consistent she is, but it is a decent chance. We haven't seen this matchup before, so it's difficult to say what tactics either will employ.
| Iga Swiatek | Mirra Andreeva | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 1 | Rank | 24 |
| 23 | Age | 17 |
| 49-5 | 2024 W/L | 25-10 |
| 330-71 | Career W/L | 101-21 |
It seems likely that the match will be played on world number one's racket. She has more power and is the better natural hitter. She's also the better mover and has more experience.
The surprise factor is on Andreeva's side, but by now, Swiatek is probably fairly familiar with her game. They might have even practiced together, which would also help the Polish player to win this match, in which she will be favored, but certainly won't underestimate her opponent.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in two sets.