TennisSection previews the 2021 WTA Rome Open as Karolina Pliskova (9) meets Iga Swiatek (15) in the Final on Sunday May 16th, 2021.
An exciting Final is expected here at the 2021 WTA Rome Open as ninth seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova will face Iga Swiatek of Poland. This is not the Final that many would have expected but both women have played extremely well and fully deserve to be here. Can Pliskova claim the title in her third successive Final here in Rome? Or will the exciting Polish teenager win her second title of the year?
Karolina Pliskova is currently ranked #9 in the WTA world rankings and is seeded ninth here at the 2021 WTA Rome Open. The former world number has been having a disappointing season so far in 2021, and will be delighted to have reached the Final here in Rome. This will be the third successive time that she has reached this stage, winning in 2019 and being the runner-up in 2020. The Czech star overcame a touch challenge from Petra Martic in the Semi-Finals, in a match that she was in complete control early on but lost focus in the second set. She rebounded well to win the third set and will have gained a lot of confidence from that match and her performances at this event on the whole. Her powerful baseline game is well suited for this surface and she will like her chances here against Iga Swiatek.
Iga Swiatek is ranked #15 in the world and at 19 years of age is already considered one of the best clay court players in the world. The 2020 French Open champion has been in fine form this week here at the 2021 WTA Rome Open, reaching this stage relatively untested. She was made to work in the Round of 16 against Barbora Krejcikova, before defeating fellow teen sensation Coco Gauff in straight sets in the Semis. The Polish superstar is seeking her second title of the season here in Rome, and like her opponent Karolina Pliskova is an aggressive baseline player. However, she moves better than Pliskova and has a bit more variety, so this is set to be a fascinating encounter.
This will be the first meeting between the two players, and the head to head record stands at 0-0. This is a very tough match to call as both players are in great form and like this surface. All things considered, I am backing Iga Swiatek to get a tough win here. The Pole hits a huge ball, and as mentioned before is a better mover on this surface. She is also able to change her game depending on the situation so she has another distinct advantage there. The only advantage that Karolina Pliskova has is that she is a bit fresher, and had a slightly easier path to the Final. I expect it to go the distance and be a very tense battle, but Iga Swiatek should come through, and become the 2021 WTA Rome Open champion.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win.
Want more Free Tennis Picks from our Experts? Check out our latest Tennis Predictions now!
