Roland Garros 2021: Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Peterson preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (8) Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Peterson

Date: 3 June 2021

Tournament: Roland Garros 2021

Round: Second round (Round of 64)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red Clay

Prize money: €17,171,108

Match timing: Approx. 7 pm local time, 5 pm GMT, 1 pm EST, 10.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Peterson preview

Iga Swiatek opened her Roland Garros title defense with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over good friend Kaja Juvan. Up next for the Pole is Sweden's Rebecca Peterson, who saved a match point en route to a three-set victory over Shelby Rogers in her opener.

Swiatek was made to work hard by Juvan, who produced some of her best tennis in the second set after being bageled in the opener. The Pole didn't look too comfortable, but managed to keep her cool during crunch moments to eke out a straight-sets win in the end.

Rebecca Peterson

Peterson had her breakthrough season in 2019, winning two WTA titles and cracking the top-50 in the world rankings. However, a recurrent back injury derailed her progress and she is now on the comeback trail.

The Swedish No. 1 does have a few promising results to show for her efforts this year, including quarterfinal runs at claycourt events in Saint Malo and Belgrade, which should hold her in good stead at Roland Garros.

Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Peterson head-to-head

This will be the first career meeting between Iga Swiatek and Rebecca Peterson, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Peterson prediction

Swiatek will look to find her footing after a lackluster performance in the first round

Iga Swiatek entered Roland Garros on top form having won 15 of her last 16 matches on clay. However, she didn't look too convincing in her opening-round win over Juvan and will look to use this match to fine-tune her game.

Swiatek enjoys playing on the front foot. Her destructive groundstrokes and swiftness around the court allow her to take charge of rallies. Another important aspect of her game is her mental toughness on big points. But with the pressure of a title defense growing, she is set to face even sterner tests in the rounds to come.

Rebecca Peterson's game is not too different from Swiatek's. The Swede has a heavy forehand which she uses to dictate proceedings, and much like the Pole, she is also a thinker out on the court.

Peterson has matured in recent years and is now capable of constructing points rather than going for broke early on. Against Swiatek, she will need to find a way to stay aggressive without being reckless.

Swiatek will enter the contest as a firm favorite but the defending champion cannot afford too many slip-ups against Peterson, who definitely has the game to punish her.

Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in two tight sets

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