Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina Prediction: Top-notch Iga takes on power play of Rybakina

The professional tennis world has a busy schedule and each month 100s of matches take place. While the stakes are high in every tournament, the allure of a Grand Slam is unmatched. The four Grand Slams US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open are what grab the most eyeballs. In this amazing fixtore of the Australian Open, Iga Swiatek will tackle Elena Rybakina.

Iga comes into the match after dominating Cristina Busca 6-0, 6-1 to continue her amazing career. Swiatek gave no chance to Busca as she dominated both the service and receiving points end. She had a 28-13 service points and 24-6 receiving points advantage in what was a short affair. Iga is yet to drop a set through three matches and only Jule Niemeir made it a bit tricky in the first round, forcing Swiatek to win seven games in the second set. This performance from Swiatek is nothing surprising as she already has three Grand Slams under her belt and it will take a lot to unseat her from the number-one ranking. She is just 21 and has already shattered many records.

Elena comes in the contest after defeating higher-ranked Danielle Collins 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to mak a statement. Rybakina showcased her power game in full flow as she collected 8 Aces and 82% win on first serve. She was great at breaking Collins’ serve and had a significant 38-19 receiving points advantage while having a 57-56 service points advantage. Elena has lost just one set thus far through the first three rounds. She has improved her return game and this has helped her sustain great momentum even against top players. Rybakina has already showcased she is a top-level player, having won Wimbledon last season but since then, her returns have suffered a bit.

Iga and Elena have met only once and that was during 2021 Ostrava Open. In that game, Swiatek won 7-6, 6-2.

Although Swiatek won the last time these two met, Elena has expanded her game since then and isn’t solely dependent upon her first serves. Her improved return game is goping to play a huge role against Switake whose tendency to break the serve and also dominate the service game makes her the worst match-up. I see a close fight initially but then Swiatek taking control in the latter parts to come on top.