Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 21/01/2023, 06:29  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 21/01/2023 at 12:32 in Tennis Predictions

Between them these two players won three of the Grand Slams last year. Top seeded Iga Swiatek takes on 22nd seed Elena Rybakina in the last 16 of the Australian Open. Swiatek reached the semi-finals here last year and it's the third successive year the Pole has made it to the fourth round. Last year was an incredibly successful one for Swiatek as she won eight WTA Tour titles (just one loss in a final) including two Grand Slams and four WTA 1000 tournaments. This year started off with three straight sets wins in the United Cup but then losing to Jessica Pegula and winning just four games. The pair could meet in the semi-finals of this tournament. The 2023 Australian Open has seen the world number one (she still has a massive lead) beat three unseeded players (one a qualifier) with no sets dropped and only 15 games lost, just six in the last two. Swiatek has played Rybakina just once, a straight sets win in 2021.

How ironic it was that in a year when Wimbledon banned Russian players, it was Rybakina who won the title and she was born in Moscow. The 23-year-old now represents Kazakhstan so avoided the ban. Rybakina began this week ranked 25th but is up to 19th in the live rankings and can climb another three places if beating Swiatek. Since winning the Wimbledon title, she's only reached one final in Slovenia and that was four months ago and a WTA 250 event. This year has seen her play both the tournaments in Adelaide but winning just one of her three matches. A win here would take her into the last eight of a Grand Slam for only the third time. Her best performance in the Australian Open had only been the second round before this tournament. Wins this week have seen her drop just one set. That was in the last round when beating last year's runner-up Danielle Collins, dropping the middle set. A straight sets win for Swiatek is our prediction here.