Belinda Bencic vs Elena Rybakina Prediction & Betting Tips - Chicago 2, USA, Qualifying

Prediction published on 30/09/2021, 17:18  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 01/10/2021 at 10:09 in Tennis Predictions

Third seed Belinda Bencic takes on Elena Rybakina who is the fifth seed at the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic. This is a last eight match with the winner taking on either top seeded Elina Svitolina or Ons Jabeur (seeded sixth). The match is also a repeat of the semi-final at the Tokyo Olympics that was won by eventual gold medallist Bencic. Since winning that title, the Swiss player has made it to the last eight in five consecutive tournaments (including this one) but has lost at that stage each time. Will it be different this time around? Bencic has had wins over Maddison Inglis (after losing the first set but then only dropping one game in the next two) and Tereza Martincova. Bencic is vulnerable against players ranked well below her with a string of defeats inflicted this year.

Elena Rybakina is the world number 17, just one place below her best ever that was achieved a couple of weeks ago. Rybakina has had a good year and just gone through the $1m earnings mark for 2021. She is aiming to reach her third semi-final of the year and has so far this week beaten Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Veronika Kudermetova. Both were won in straight sets, though the match against Vondrousova was a close one. Go for over 21.5 games to be played in what may well be a three-setter.