Chicago Fall Tennis Classic 2021: Kim Clijsters vs Hsieh Su-wei preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Kim Clijsters vs Hsieh Su-wei

Date: 27 September 2021

Tournament: Chicago Fall Tennis Classic 2021

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Chicago, USA

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $565,530

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Kim Clijsters vs Hsieh Su-wei preview

Hsieh Su-wei in action at Wimbledon 2019

The first round of the 2021 Chicago Fall Tennis Classic will see an intriguing clash between Hsieh Su-Wei and Kim Clijsters on Monday.

Hsieh enters the tournament having snapped a losing streak during the North American swing. The Taiwanese has scored a few good wins in recent months - including one over seven-time Slam champion Venus Williams - and will look to carry her momentum into the tournament this week.

Kim Clijsters will be playing in her first match of the season.

Clijsters, meanwhile, will be resuming her comeback to the sport with her first match of the 2021 season. The 38-year-old played a few matches last year, pushing the likes of Garbine Muguruza and Ekaterina Alexandrova to the brink, but has been hampered by injuries for most of the current season.

Clijsters did show flashes of her best tennis in the few matches that she played, but failed to translate that into wins. She will be eager to change her fortunes in 2021, starting with the Chicago event.

Kim Clijsters vs Hsieh Su-wei head-to-head

This is set to be the first career meeting between Hsieh Su-wei and Kim Clijsters, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Kim Clijsters vs Hsieh Su-wei prediction

Hsieh Su-wei will be a favorite heading into the contest.

The match will witness a clash of contrasting styles of tennis, pitting Hsieh Su-wei's court craft against Kim Clijster's baseline prowess.

There is bound to be some rust as far as Clijsters is concerned, given her long absence from the tour. In that context, first-serve numbers will be key for the Belgian as she could use all the free points that she can get.

Hsieh, on her part, will look to expose her opponent's movement, making use of her signature variety and redirecting skills.

Clijsters still possesses the raw power to hit through opponents, but Hsieh will look to use that power against her. If she can keep the rallies short and keep the ball outside of the Belgian's hitting zone, Hsieh should be able to outlast her in this one.

Prediction: Hsieh Su-wei to win in three sets.