Who can confirm their good start?
There were the first big surprises early on in the 110th women’s singles at the Australian Open. However, at least in the seventh section of the tournament tree, the expected pairing has emerged in the third round when Iga Swiatek and Daria Kasatkina, two players from the seeded list, clash. Accordingly, this Polish-Russian duel is one of the highlights of the third round.
The bookmakers see the young Pole, who has reached the last 16 of the Australian Open for the last two years in a row, at an advantage. Iga Swiatek’s betting on a hat-trick for the 20-year-old against Daria Kasatkina is correspondingly good.
However, Daria Kasatkina has shown remarkable form in Down Under so far. The 24-year-old Russian won her first two matches brilliantly 2-0 and did not concede more than five games in any match. Just last week, she beat the world number three Garbine Muguruza in Sydney.
The outcome of the match is correspondingly difficult to predict, which is why we recommend using the odds on Iga Swiatek against Daria Kasatkina for a rather short match in which the winner will be determined in a maximum of 20 games. After all, neither player has been on court for very long so far…
Iga Swiatek – Statistics & current form
Current ranking in the World Ranking: 9
Position in the seedings: 7
Although 20-year-old Pole Iga Swiatek only made her debut on the WTA Tour three years ago, when she won her first-ever Grand Slam match outright at the 2019 Australian Open when she reached the second round.
However, the current WTA world number nine only made her breakthrough a year later when she came from nowhere to surprisingly win the 2020 French Open and crown herself a Grand Slam winner.
Good start to season at Adelaide International
Because the Pole has since firmly established herself in the top 10 of the WTA world rankings, she has to be counted among the extended circle of favourites at this year’s Australian Open. After all, Iga Swiatek only secured another major title at a WTA 1000 tournament last summer at the Italian Open in Rome.
Her start into the new year has also been promising. She reached the semifinals at the preparatory tournament in Adelaide and even beat two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
Already a total of 40 winners in the first two matches
After two easy 2-0 wins in the women’s singles at the Australian Open, Iga Swiatek now has five wins from six singles in the new year. She has been equally convincing in Melbourne so far with a stable serve that could only be broken once per game and also remained untouchable for the most part in longer rallies.
The Pole played a total of 40 winners in her first two games, which is why she surrendered only seven games in two matches.
Daria Kasatkina – Statistics & current form
Current ranking in the world: 23
Position in the seedings: 25
The 24-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina has already won four singles titles on the WTA Tour. However, the lady from Tolyatti has so far failed to win a major title.
The only time she reached the final of a WTA 1000 tournament on hard court was at the Indian Wells Open 2018, where she failed to win the title. With two singles titles from the 2021 season, she nevertheless remained within touching distance of the world’s top players.
Strong performance at the preparation tournaments
The Russian has also been in very good form so far in the new season. Daria Kasatkina has been in Down Under since the beginning of the year and played two preparation tournaments here at the Melbourne Summer Set 2 and the Sydney Tennis Classic.
The WTA world number 23 reached the semifinals at both events, and in the quarterfinals in Sydney she even managed to knock out Garbine Muguruza, who is currently ranked third in the world.
Too many unforced errors in the first two rounds
The 24-year-old also continued her good form at the Australian Open, where the Russian has always finished in the second round in the last five years, and reached the third round for the first time since 2016 with two easy 2-0 victories. She now has eight wins from ten singles in 2022.
Nevertheless, Iga Swiatek’s chances of reaching the last 16 of the Australian Open for the first time against Daria Kasatkina are not in the best of hands. Due to 32 unforced errors, she has already allowed eight break points against her, of which her opponents have only been able to convert two. An error rate that could quickly break her neck in the duel with the attack-minded Pole.
Iga Swiatek – Daria Kasatkina Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Head to head: 0:1
Last summer, the two ladies faced each other in their first and only meeting in the Round of 16 at the Eastbourne International on grass. After Swiatek won the first set 6-4, Kasatkina turned up the heat, winning 6-0, 6-1 to turn the match into a 2-1 victory
Iga Swiatek – Daria Kasatkina Tip
In the case of Iga Swiatek against Daria Kasatkina, the forecast tends to go in the direction of the Pole, who is particularly strong in her return game and should be able to rally often enough against the Russian’s not overly dangerous serve. However, the in-form Daria Kasatkina should not be written off, as she could be particularly dangerous if she reduces her error rate.
We see the greatest value in betting that the match will be decided in one way or another in two sets with a maximum of 20 games. After all, both ladies are well known for sticking to their guns after losing a set and falling into a hectic state too quickly.
