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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (Q) Bernarda Pera
Date: May 9, 2024
Tournament: Italian Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $5,509,771
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+/3
Iga Swiatek vs Bernarda Pera preview
After a first-round bye, top seed Iga Swiatek begins her 2024 Italian Open campaign against Bernarda Pera in the second round on Thursday.
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Swiatek's clay swing commenced in Stuttgart at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where she was the two-time defending champion. She secured wins over Elise Mertens and Emma Raducanu en route the semifinals, where she was up against Elena Rybakina, where her title defence came to an end.
She then made the championship round in Madrid for the second straight year. Swiatek faced defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for the title in a rematch of the previous year's final. The Pole saved three championship points to win 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 (7), capturing her first Madrid title.
Pera, meanwhile, came through the qualifying rounds of the Italian Open and narrowly beat her compatriot Caroline Dolehide in the first round. After winning the first set via a tiebreak, Pera had Dolehide on the ropes in the second as she won 7-6 (6), 6-3.
Iga Swiatek vs Bernarda Pera head-to-head
Swiatek leads Pera 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2023 Madrid Open in straight sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Bernarda Pera odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Bernarda Pera prediction
Pera's first-round win over Dolehide was only her third main draw win of the season. She dropped her serve once during the encounter and saved eight of nine break points.
Swiatek, meanwhile, has won all significant titles on red dirt after her triumph in Madrid over the weekend. It was her 20th career title and third of the season.
Pera played her first WTA match on clay in 2018 and has had a 42-29 record since then. Swiatek, meanwhile, contested her first main draw match on the surface in 2019 and has notched up an impressive 71-10 record.
Swiatek is without a doubt the best claycourt player of her generation and is on track to be one of the best-ever on the surface. She's the overwhelming favorite to win, so a loss will be considered quite an upset.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets
