Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Cincinnati match.
The Cincinnati final brings together two top-10 players — Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini. Swiatek is chasing a return to world No.2, while Paolini is set for her third major final of the season.
Iga Swiatek
Swiatek currently sits third in the rankings and has enjoyed another commanding year on hard courts with 27 wins against just seven defeats. She has been dominant in finals on this surface, winning 10 of her last 11, and in Cincinnati she has reached the title match without dropping a set. The head-to-head heavily favours the Pole: five meetings, five wins. Their only hard-court clash came at the 2022 US Open, where Swiatek eased through 6:3, 6:0.
Jasmine Paolini
Paolini has made huge strides this season, firmly establishing herself in the top 10. Her run in Cincinnati guarantees her a further rise in the rankings, with victory lifting her to No.7 in the world. The Italian has collected 17 hard-court wins this year, but as a heavy underdog, she has lost six straight matches. Her path to the final has been demanding: she defeated Coco Gauff, Veronika Kudermetova, Barbora Krejcikova, Ashlyn Krueger and Maria Sakkari, though only against Krejcikova was Jasmine truly dominant. In all other matches, Paolini conceded at least seven games.
Iga Swiatek vs Jasmine Paolini Prediction
Swiatek’s aggressive baseline game and strong serve present a serious stylistic problem for Paolini. The Pole has won her last five hard-court finals, four of them by eight games or more. Expect her to take control early and finish with a comfortable margin.
