Match details
Fixture: (7) Iga Swiatek vs Vera Zvonareva
Date: 30 June 2021
Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: London, Great Britain
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £17,066,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Iga Swiatek vs Vera Zvonareva preview
In a battle of the generations, 20-year-old Iga Swiatek will take on 36-year-old Vera Zvonareva for a spot in the third round of the 2021 Wimbledon.
Swiatek, seeded seventh, fended off the wily Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei 6-4, 6-4 in the first round to register her maiden win at the All England Club.
The Pole rose to fame last year when she won Roland Garros at the age of 19. Since then, she has proven that her win in Paris wasn't a one-off by adding two more titles (Adelaide and Rome) to her collection.
A former junior champion at SW19, Swiatek is now hunting for glory at the professional level at the grasscourt Major.
Her second-round opponent Vera Zvonareva knows a thing or two about winning at Wimbledon. The Russian is a former finalist at the All England Club (2010) and has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world.
However, injuries and time spent away from the court dropped her down the rankings. After returning to the tour in 2017 following the birth of her child, Zvonareva has slowly on the rise.
The 36-year-old survived a tricky first-round test against young Czech, Marie Bouzkova, eventually prevailing 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the second round at the Championships for the first time since 2014.
Iga Swiatek vs Vera Zvonareva head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two players, so their head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Iga Swiatek vs Vera Zvonareva prediction
Swiatek and Zvonareva put up strong performances in their respective openers. The Pole struck 20 winners and committed just 18 errors against Hsieh, while Zvonareva hit 31 winners and made 30 unforced errors against Bouzkova.
Both players also leaned heavily on their serve, winning over 75% of points on first serve in their previous match. However, Zvonareva must clean up her act on second serve. She committed seven double faults against Bouzkova and cannot afford the same against a player of Swiatek's caliber.
The young Pole is the overwhelming favorite in this match and her superior court coverage and athleticism should help her see off Zvonareva.