Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova Prediction & Betting Tips - Abu Dhabi Open

Prediction published on 09/02/2024, 12:22  by Nella Wagah in Tennis Predictions

Top seed Elina Rybakina will seek her first victory over eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova when they meet next in Abu Dhabi. The two will square off in the semifinals with the winner battling either Beatriz Haddad Maia or Daria Kasatkina in the final. Elina Rybakina is having an excellent start to the year. She is now just two wins away from her second title of the season. The Kazakh, who triumphed in Brisbane, has won nine of 11 matches in 2024. She defeated lucky loser Cristina Buca in straight sets in the quarterfinals. This was a more assured performance than her first match where she had to come from a set down to win. Rybakina, who is now up to fourth in the live ranking, has lost all four times she has squared off with Samsonova.

Liudmila Samsonova has dominated this series with Rybakina. All her wins have been on hard courts. Last season, she defeated Rybakina twice with both meetings being semifinal showdowns. As she made the final here last season, the Russian will be confident of a win. Samsonova finished as runner-up in her debut appearance here last season. She has been dominant in her return to the competition and looks to have gotten over her earlier struggles. The 25-year-old hadn’t won a match this season before arriving in Abu Dhabi and had lost three times. She has now tied her record at 3-3 and has won all her matches here without dropping a set. The world number 15, defeated Barbora Krejcikova by the loss of nine games in the quarterfinals.