Iga Swiatek vs Sloane Stephens Prediction: Can number-one seeded Iga down experienced Sloane?

Here it is again, the topsy-turvy curvatures of the ever-so-tricky WTA scenario where no bet is safe and anything is possible at any given time. Still, enthusiasts will try their luck and look to make bank in scenarios where odds are improbably overturning more rapidly than most of sports. Yes, even the top seeds get their campaign finished early in the WTA scene, but will it happen when number-one seed Iga Swiatek takes on veteran Sloane Stephens in the Second Round? 

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Iga Swiatek comes into this game after a thorough 6-3, 6-0 destruction of Jasmine Paolini, the type of killing edge that has been missing as of late. In that game, the Polish power player had her second serve win% going as she extracted a 75%. She ended up notching 7/9 break points and collected an impressive 32-15 receiving points advantage. The number one seed showed that she is still up for some lop-sided wins.

This is a great sign for Swiatek whose second serve win% was off in a bunch of games lately. She is one of the most strongest servers in the circuit and heavily rely upon it to bury opponents but lately, she has struggled to collect damage in that regard. Has the last performance bolstered her confidence as the competition level and rhythm of the oppositions will only heat up? We will find out here.

Sloane comes after registering a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory against Greet Minnen to begin her campaign. She rolled out a 73% first serve but hit below 60% winners in both the first and second serve. The game was close and even if she nabbed a 35-29 receiving points edge She committed no double faults in that game, Greet had her on the edge, winning the five games in a row in first set. But then Sloane turned it around in the second set and went on a seven game streak.

Sloane has lost her rankings steadily since last couple of years and after being a number three player just four years ago, she has moved out of the top-50 rankings. Her serve game has been not--so-impressive and detrimental to recent performances as she gets ousted in the initial rounds repeatedly. But this is the US Open, where in 2017, she went on to lift the title. Will she get her old flair back?

Sloane and Iga met just a couple of weeks ago where Swiatek won 6-4, 7-5. Will she repeat such heroics?

Both players haven’t been looking dialed-in while serving the ball, which has held them back in big ways. However, Swiatek showed signs of return to form against Jasmine. Stephens has lost a bit of her athleticism at this point but her activity level still remains high. Swiatek hasn’t shown the similar composure to the first half of the year but perhaps, the Grand Slam window will help turn it around. I back her to take the game but this can go to three sets!