Iga Swiatek clashes with Leylah Fernandez and Sofia Kenin faces off against Ajla Tomljanovic in the round of 16 at the WTA Tour's Adelaide International. Damien Kayat previews.
2022 WTA Tour
WTA 500
Adelaide International (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Round of 16 Preview- 6th January
Iga Swiatek (5) (56/100) vs Leylah Fernandez (27/20)
Defending Adelaide champion Iga Swiatek got her title defence off to a steady start with a straight-sets victory over Daria Saville. That made it six consecutive Adelaide victories for the pugnacious Pole.
It’s little surprise that she performs so well on these surfaces. The ultra-aggressive Swiatek is able to use her hell-for-leather approach to great effect here. The former 2020 French Open champion enjoyed an extremely consistent 2021 campaign.
She won titles in Adelaide and Rome, which helped to propel her towards her maiden WTA Finals appearance. She was eliminated in the group stage and then endured a fairly traumatic end to 2021.
She split from long-time coach Piotr Sierzputowski in December. This must have been a fairly agonizing decision considering their partnership had helped propel her to number four in the world last year.
Swiatek is looking to evolve as a player and feels like she needs new coaching direction. She has drawn an extremely dangerous round of 16 opponent this week.
Leylah Fernandez has joined the likes of Radacanu and Gauff at the vanguard of this current teenage tennis revolution. The 19-year-old Canadian enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 even prior to her heroics at Flushing Meadows.
She won her maiden WTA title at last year’s Monterrey Open. But that paled in significance to her glorious runner-up finish at the US Open. She became an immediate fan’s favourite with her gutsy, high-octane style.
Despite losing to Radacanu in the final, Fernandez turned out to be the real giant killer in New York. Her list of vanquished foes included Osaka, Kerber, Svitolina and Sabalenka.
Fernandez started this week in sublime style, dispatching of the potentially tricky Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. Her serve was impeccable: she didn’t face a single break point during the entire match.
Verdict: Fernandez to win at 27/20
I just really think there’s some value in backing the Canadian. I’m not even really basing this on her performance in New York. I’m more impressed by the way she dismantled the world number 34 Alexandrova. Swiatek can also be fairly erratic for a top 10 player. I think it’s worth backing the underdog here.
Sofia Kenin (6) (83/100) vs Ajla Tomljanovic (94/100)
28-year-old Aussie-Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic started 2022 in positive style, beating Heather Watson in straight sets. She showed resolve to come back from 2-0 down in the opening set.
The world number 45 is a player who probably hasn’t quite delivered on her obvious talent. A four-time WTA Finalist, Tomljanovic has played three of those finals on hardcourts.
2021 actually proved to be something of a breakthrough year for Tomljanovic. She reached her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. She also beat Garbine Muguruza at Indian Wells.
So, there is certainly a player there in Tomljanovic. But her career has certainly been affected by a series of crucial injuries during the early part of her career. Does she have the physical resolve to beat 6th seed Sofia Kenin?
Speaking of injuries, this is actually the first event that Sofia Kenin has played since Wimbledon last year. The 23-year-old American suffered a foot injury that kept her out until the onset of the US Open.
Her unfortunate season continued when she received a positive Covid diagnosis prior to her return. The 2020 Aussie Open champion clearly has an affinity for this side of the world.
Not only did she capture that famous Aussie Open title, but she also managed to win the Hobart International in 2019. A five-time WTA title winner, Kenin actually had to endure a real battle in her first competitive match back.
She laboured to a 7-5, 7-5 victory against virtual unknown Lucia Bronzetti. This could prove a real test for a player who really struggled for consistency last year.
Verdict: Kenin to win in straight sets at 7/4
I think Kenin will have benefitted hugely from that gruelling match against the unheralded Bronzetti. I just don’t think Tomljanovic has the hitting power to match Kenin. The Aussie actually has a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over the American. But the last time they met was way back in 2017.
