Kamilla Rakhimova vs Aryna Sabalenka Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA French Open

Prediction published on 01/06/2023, 09:53  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 03/06/2023 at 11:26 in Tennis Predictions

It's a massive tournament for second seeded Aryna Sabalenka. The Australian Open champion has moved to the top of the live WTA rankings above Iga Swiatek. That dream of topping the rankings at the end of this tournament will end if losing this third round match against unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova. Sabalenka has reached at least the semi-final of the other three Grand Slams but never at Roland Garros. In fact, winning this match will take her into the fourth round in Paris for the first time in her career. Her clay court season has so far seen her reach the final in Stuttgart and winning the Madrid title. Sabalenka lost to Swiatek in Germany but got her revenge in Spain. It didn't go so well in Rome with a first round loss to Sofia Kenin but she's had a good rest since then. 

Kamilla Rakhimova began Roland Garros ranked 82nd in the world. That was a career high position but it's been improved on now. Her two wins so far in Paris have seen her rise to 65th in the rannkings. The 21-year-old is paying her fourth visit to Roland Garros but this is her first time past the second round. A surprise win over Sabalenka will see her equal her Grand Slam best of a third round in the 2021 US Open. Her best performance on clay this year has been getting to the last four in a WTA 250 event held in Bogota. No wins over top 100 ranked players were achieved though. Just before this tournament. Rakhimova reached the last eight of the WTA 125 event in Paris. Two unseeded players have been beaten by her so far at Roland Garros with ten games lost. It all gets a lot tougher now though and we go for over 17.