Elena Rybakina vs Jessica Pegula Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Miami

Prediction published on 29/03/2023, 08:42  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 29/03/2023 at 10:48 in Tennis Predictions

Elena Rybakina is one win away from her second successive final. The tenth seed faces third seeded Jessica Pegula in the last four of the Miami Open. At the time of writing the quarter finals in the other half of the draw are yet to be played. If the seedings go as planned, we'll see second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Rybakina won the Indian Wells title in her last tournament and is currenty unbeaten in her last ten matches. The most recent of those was a win over 25th seeded Martina Trevisan for the loss of just three games with the second set won to love. Before that Rybakina had twice gone the three sets to get a win. The 23-year-old is seventh in the live rankings and need to win this title to move up to sixth. In the Live WTA Race, Rybakina is second and will go to the top of the rankings if winning this title.

Jessica Pegula is up to third in the Live WTA Race but can't climb any higher on that list even if winning the Miami Open. The American is also third in the main list despite the lack of titles that she has won. Pegula has won both of her previous matches against Rybakina. The most recent win was in Guadalajara last year and Pegula went on to win that title. That's the only singles title that Pegula has won since 2019. The other meeting was in this tournament last year. The American is in her third semi-final of the year. One of the other two was won but she then lost to Iga Swiatek in the Doha final. The 29-year-old had a much tougher match in the last eight. The American had to come from behind to get past 27th seeded Anastasia Potapova, winning on a third-set tie-break. Rybakina is on a roll at present and can get the win over Pegula to reach her third final of the year.