Match details
Fixture: (7) Iga Swiatek vs Hsieh Su-wei
Date: 28 June 2021
Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: London, Great Britain
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £17,066,000
Match timing: Approx. 4:30 pm local time, 3:30 pm GMT, 11:30 am EST, 9 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh preview
Seventh seed Iga Swiatek opens her Wimbledon 2021 campaign against the experienced Hsieh Su-wei on Monday.
Swiatek has been a junior champion at Wimbledon (2018), but her grasscourt experience in the senior circuit has been limited. The 20-year-old secured her first main-draw win on grass just a few days back at Eastbourne, as she edged Heather Watson in three sets.
But Swiatek couldn't build on that, as she was shown the door by Daria Kasatkina in the very next round.
The 2020 Roland Garros champion would have low expectations from Wimbledon this time, as she is still adapting to the surface. But Swiatek has had a pretty impressive season so far, with two titles under her belt already, and the confidence from that could help her navigate through the early rounds at SW19.
Hsieh Su-wei, meanwhile, hasn't been able to do much of note in singles since her run to her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open in February. The veteran Taiwanese player has managed to win just one match in her last five tournaments.
Hsieh has a tough proposition when she takes on Swiatek in the first round at SW19 on Monday. That said, the 35-year-old certainly knows how to play on grass; she has won the doubles title at Wimbledon twice, and has even been to the fourth round in singles.
Iga Swiatek vs Hsieh Su-wei head-to-head
Iga Swiatek has a 1-0 lead over Hsieh Su-wei in their head-to-head. The Pole beat Hsieh 6-1, 6-4 at the French Open last year.
Iga Swiatek vs Hsieh Su-wei prediction
Although Iga Swiatek is the higher ranked player in this face-off, she is still not very comfortable on grass. Her problems were laid bare by the array of slices from Daria Kasatkina at Eastbourne, as the Pole dropped her serve a whopping eight times.
Swiatek is still learning how to deal with the low bounce and quick pace of grass, and could therefore face plenty of difficulties against a player of Hsieh Su-wei's caliber.
Swiatek has a win over the Taipei ace in the past, but grass could be a different ballgame altogether. Hsieh hits flat off both wings and is known for her finesse and angles, which are highly effective on this surface.
The Hsieh test has probably come a little earlier than Swiatek would have liked. If she isn't able to put her anticipation skills to good use in this match, she might be in for an early upset.
Prediction: Hsieh Su-wei to win in three sets.