Stadium: Ariake Tennis Forest Park (Tokyo).
Elena Rybakina ranked 20th in the world will face Elina Svitolina, ranked 6th, in the match for the third place in the Olympic tennis tournament. The ladies have played against each other twice before, the Ukrainian won on clay in Strasbourg and Rybakina on grass court in Eastbourne.
Elena Rybakina form
Elena had not lost a single set before the semi-finals at the Olympic Games 2020, knocking out Stosur, Peterson, Vekic and Muguruza. An excellent result, but still it was not enough to allow Rybakina to break through to the final. After the match against Bencic she said that the first set was decisive, the representative of Kazakhstan could win, but lost it 6-7. The second set went to Elena 6-4, but in the third set Bencic was stronger, beating Elena 6-3. If Elena had won the first game, she may well have won the meeting as well.
What was the main difficulty? It was physically difficult in the third set. Psychologically as well. I didn't have enough concentration to hold my serve. But the biggest problem was losing the first set. I play fast and for me the longer the match lasts, the harder it is to get back into the game. The first set was my big mistake. It's very unusual to play a match for third place. Usually, at tournaments, you're out and that's it. Tomorrow we have a day to recover, rest and tune-up. I hope we'll be in good shape
Elina Svitolina form
Elina Svitolina was quoted as the favorite of the tournament before the semifinals of the Olympics. There was hope that Elina overcame fatigue, at least so it seemed in the match against Giorgi. But, apparently, the excellent play of the Ukrainian against the Italian was just her using her last energies to win the match. Unfortunately, she lost to Vondrousova and this effort was not enough to give her a place in the finals.
It's an amazing feeling to be able to represent my country in the bronze medal match, but I'm really disappointed today. I tried my best, I expected to make it through. Unfortunately, there are other players who are playing well. It is extremely hard and it was not possible to win today. Marketa played very well, showed a very decent game, and I could not find my best tennis today, and everything came together in the end in favor of the opponent
Expert betting tips
A month ago, Rybakina beat Svitolina at the tournament in Eastbourne, and won 2-0, although the match was not easy for the Kazakhstani. The Ukrainian did not look her best in the match against Vondrousova, and Rybakina was excellent against Bencic, she was close to winning against the Swiss. We believe that Rybakina has the best odds for success, which is generally confirmed by the bookmaker's analysis. Here are some betting options for the game: Elena Rybakina 2-0 victory in sets for 2.62, Elena Rybakina to win for 1.75.
Other predictions
