Iga Swiatek vs Bianca Andreescu Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Rome

Prediction published on 12/05/2022, 09:26  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 12/05/2022 at 16:35 in Tennis Predictions

Top seed and world number one Iga Swiatek bids to get a 26th straight win. The Pole faces unseeded Bianca Andreescu in the quarter finals of the Rome Masters. Swiatek is the defending champion and has won her last four tournaments, three of them being Masters events. During this incredible run of success, Swiatek became the world number one when Ashleigh Barty retired. There is no questioning who the top female player in the world is with Swiatek having earned more than double the number of ranking points this year than any other player. The Pole took last week off to nurse a shoulder injury but has had few problems in Rome this week. Wins have come over Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Viktoria Azarenka with only eight games lost. The winner of this match takes on either third seed Aryna Sabalenka or unseeded Amanda Anisimova.

Bianca Andreescu is the world number 90 but got into the main draw in Rome on a protected ranking. Andreescu was ranked 44th in March but then slumped to 119th the week after. That was due to her not playing in Miami this year (an event won by Swiatek) thus losing all the points earned from reaching the 2021 final. Andreescu has had injury problems and didn't play her first tournament of the year until the second half of April. Two clay court tournaments have been played since her return from injury and both times the Canadian lost in the last 16. This week has seen Andreescu beat 10th seed Emma Raducanu (who retired in the second set), lucky loser Nuna Parrizas Dias and qualifier Petra Martic, so not the hardest of routes. It really gets tougher on Friday and Swiatek can win this in straight sets.