Another clay court tournament, another Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka final. The fans are getting ready to experience a massive showdown as the Italian Open final is set to repeat a Madrid Open-like history. The World No.1, who managed to win the last clay court event is just one step behind from taking another. While it is obvious that Sabalenka would have doubled her preparations this time, a former tennis pro still decided to back the Pole.

The Tennis Channel Live Podcast’s latest episode dives into the thrilling results from Rome. Host Steve Weissman, the American sportscasting ace, is joined by tennis legends Monica Puig, the fiery Puerto Rican former pro, and Andy Roddick and Prakash Amritraj to dissect all the action and analyze how these matches will impact the legacies of the players involved.

While both Amritraj and Monica sided with the Belarusian, the former American tennis star Andy Roddick stayed firm in supporting Iga Swiatek. Despite analyzing the consistently dominant form of Aryna Sabalenka, Roddick believes Swiatek has better odds of securing a win in their 11th showdown against each other. “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills right now, Steve,” Roddick exclaimed, placing all his faith in Swiatek. “I get to go counter the entire show and take Iga on clay. Is this an upset now? I don’t know what to say we’re doing.”

The American also expressed his respect for both Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, acknowledging them as the only players in the draw who can challenge Swiatek when she’s in peak form. “There are exactly two people in this draw who I think can match up with Iga Swiatek and bother her on the clay when she’s in full flight. That’s Sabalenka and Rybakina.” However, despite the acceptance of both the players’ potential, Roddick stands firm in his support for Swiatek. “But there’s just zero chance that I’m gonna bet against Iga on clay. I can’t get over the line and bet against Iga Swiatek,” he declared.

Swiatek reigns supreme on red dirt! She boasts a commanding 4-1 record against Sabalenka on clay over the past three years, with all four victories coming in finals at prestigious tournaments like Stuttgart, Madrid, and Rome. This upcoming match presents another opportunity for Swiatek to widen the gap in the rankings.

Here’s why she’s favored: Swiatek maintains an undefeated record in Rome finals, having secured titles in both 2021 and 2022. Her overall success in WTA 1000 finals is equally impressive, reaching 12 out of 30 appearances (a staggering 40% win rate, surpassing even Serena Williams’ 36.7%). Narrowing the focus to clay events, her win rate skyrockets to an incredible 57.9%.

Swiatek’s recent victory over Sabalenka in Madrid has doubled the faith of fans as well as the veterans who closely analyze the game. As she heads into the Italian Open final, the crowd is eager to see if she can continue her winning streak on clay. Before taking on the challenge, Iga reflects on the differences in this year’s Madrid and Rome finals.

Iga Swiatek sees no strings attached from her last final to this one

The curiosity of the fans to hear from Iga Swiatek has been up in the sky. Ever since she defeated Coco Gauff to secure a position in the finals, the tennis star became a part of several conversations. Recently, the Pole was asked if she sees any differences between the Madrid Open final and the one she is set to play.

“Honestly, I don’t think it makes sense to think about these two matches as one continuing story because totally different tournament. Well, different week, as well. It’s not like it’s going to be the same,” she replied, denying the scope of comparison between the two showdowns.

Her response resonated with her rival’s comment as Saba clearly mentioned a thorough rework on several elements after the defeat in Madrid. “You always try and find some stuff to improve where you can get better so next time you’ll be able to finish the match. After Madrid we work a lot on couple of things…We’ll see on Saturday if it’s going to help me or not…I really have strong belief that I can get that win,”Aryna Sabalenka said of her Madrid and Rome finals.

As the fans are looking forward to being served with another exciting competition between the World No. 1 and 2, it still remains to be seen who manages to clinch the victory.