Olympics 2024: Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu

Date: July 27, 2024

Tournament: Paris Olympics 2024

Round: First Round (Round of 64)

Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France

Category: Olympics

Surface: Clay

Live Telecast: USA – NBC, Peacock | UK – Eurosport, Discovery+, BBC iPlayer | Canada – CBC Gem, Radio Canada, Tou.tv | India – JioCinema, Sports18

Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu preview

Top seed Iga Swiatek and Irina Camelia Begu will lock horns in the first round of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday.

Swiatek has strengthened her grip at the top of the WTA rankings this year. She’s chalked up 47 wins from 52 matches, including title-winning runs in the Qatar Open, BNP Paribas Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open and the French Open. She captured her fifth Major title in Paris by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the finals, 6-2, 6-1.

The Pole will enter the Olympics on the back of a modest third round exit in Wimbledon. She outfoxed Sofia Kenin and Petra Martic in the first two rounds, but couldn’t make her mark against Yulia Putintseva. The Russian defeated her in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Meanwhile, Irina-Camelia Begu has made a mixed start to the season so far. She’s amassed a semifinal run in the Palermo Ladies Open and a third round appearance in the French Open. She outfoxed the likes of Julia Riera and Linda Noskova in Paris but came up shy against Varvara Gracheva.

The Romanian will enter the Olympics on the back of a remarkable performance in Palermo. She defeated the likes of Arantxa Rus and Ann Li en route to the last four but came up shy against Karolina Muchova. The Czech outclassed her in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1.

Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu head-to-head

Swiatek leads the head-to-head against Camelia Begu 1-0. She defeated the Romanian most recently in the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.

Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu odds

Odds will be updated when available.

Iga Swiatek vs Irina-Camelia Begu prediction

Iga Swiatek lifted her fourth Major title in Paris this year. She was on the brink of exit against Naomi Osaka in the second round but held her nerve brilliantly to keep her title defense alive. Given her affinity to the surface and record the venue, the Pole is poised to make a significant impact in the Olympics

Camelia Begu, on the contrary, has played minimal tennis on the main tour this year. Despite this, her record on clay has been impressive. The Romanian relies on her heavy serve and accurate groundstrokes off both wings.

Swiatek will undoubtedly be the favorite to come out on top. The Pole has been competing at a much higher level consistently in the past few years. She should be able to exhibit her potent all-around game and sharp movement to outsmart Camelia Begu in the first round.

Pick: Swiatek to win in straight sets.