Iga Swiatek vs Bernarda Pera Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Mutua Madrid Open

Prediction published on 30/04/2023, 06:16  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 30/04/2023 at 06:16 in Tennis Predictions

A second week of competing beckons for top seed Iga Swiatek and 28th seed Bernarda Pera in the Mutua Madrid Open with the two set to clash in the third round on Sunday. Both Swiatek and Pera have never progressed past this round in Madrid. Swiatek has beaten Pera in their only other previous meeting in Birmingham in 2019 and will therefore be the favourite to advance. The world number one is not only the favourite to win this round but to win the tournament altogether. Swiatek arrived in Madrid with two titles won already in 2023 in Doha and Stuttgart. She also made it to the final in Dubai where she lost to the unseeded Barbora Krejcikova. So impressive has the Pole been that it is only at the Australian Open that she did not manage to make it to at least the semifinals in the six tournaments she has played this year. A rib injury sustained at Indian Wells saw her denied the chance to defend her title as she was eliminated in the semis and this precipitated her pulling out of the Miami Open as the defending champion. She made her return in Stuttgart where she defended her crown in her season debut on clay and will hope to ride this momentum to her first title at Caja Magica. She has started things off on the right footing with her straight sets win over lucky loser Julia Grabher that allowed her to equal her best result here in what is her second appearance.

Bernarda Pera is making her third appearance in Madrid and has also equalled her best-ever result here which was achieved in her debut back in 2018. The American has been dominant on the court like Swiatek has this season but has done well to boost her world ranking and is currently ranked number 31 in the live rank which is a new career high for her. A win on Sunday will lift her up to number 28. She has won 10 of the 19 matches she has played so far in the year with three of those wins coming on clay. She was impeccable in her opener against the unseeded Tatjana Maria, taking slightly over an hour to get the job done in straight sets of 6-1, 6-3. This should have her fresh to go toe to toe with Swiatek. Pera enjoys playing on clay more than on any other surface and both of her WTA titles have come on clay in Budapest and Humburg and so will be confident of causing an upset here.