Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 21/01/2023, 12:51  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 22/01/2023 at 13:51 in Tennis Predictions

This isn't the Australian Open quarter final that we expected to see. Instead of a Swiatek v Gauff showdown, we have their conquerors, Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko. The winner of this match faces either Jessica Pegula (the highest seed left in the women's draw) or two-time Australian champion Victoria Azarenka. Rybakina is the 22nd seed and began this tournament ranked 25th in the world. In the live rankings, she's now up to 16th and can equal her career high ranking of 12th if reaching the last four. The 23-year-old won Wimbledon last year but this is only her third time in a Grand Slam quarter final. Before this year, she'd only got as far as the third round in this tournament. It hasn't gone too well for Rybakina since winning the Wimbledon title. Only one final has been reached and the two warm-up tournaments played earlier this month saw her win just one out of three matches. It's gone much better for her in Melbourne with only one set lost so far, including a straight sets win over Iga Swiatek in the last 16.

To reach the last four, Rybakina will have to get a first ever win over 17th seeded Jelena Ostapenko. Two previous meetings in 2019 and 2021 were both won by Ostapenko in straight sets. The win two years ago though was on a grass court. Ostapenko started this Australian Open ranked 17th in the world. Now she's up to 11th in the live rankings and getting to the final will take her into the top ten. Ostapenko is in her fourth Grand Slam quarter final, the other three all being achieved in 2017 and 2018 and that includes winning the 2017 French Open. In Australia though, her best performance had been getting to the third round on three occasions. Like her opponent, Ostapenko played three warm-up matches and only won one of them. This is her first quarter final since losing in the final in Seoul last September. This week has seen her drop one set (to Anna Bondar in round two) and in the last 16 beat seventh seeded Cori Gauff in straight sets. Rybakina has the momentum after beating Swiatek and can win this.