Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Strasbourg match.
Just days ahead of the French Open, many top WTA players are managing their workload. Elena Rybakina already knows she will face a tough first-round encounter against Belinda Bencic at Roland Garros. Still, Elena Rybakina is looking to gain valuable ranking points and move closer to the WTA top 10. Beatriz Haddad Maia is equally motivated: she has a chance to reach the final, re-enter the top 20, and show she remains capable of beating top-tier opponents. However, Beatriz has already spent considerable energy across three matches in Strasbourg.
Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina currently holds 12th place in the WTA rankings. She has delivered a strong clay-court campaign, winning four of six matches so far. In Strasbourg, Elena Rybakina comfortably defeated Xinyu Wang and Magda Linette, serving 13 aces across the two matches. Her first-serve performance has been particularly strong, winning an average of 80% of those points. Strasbourg has been a productive tournament for her in the past — she has won six of her seven matches here and reached the final in 2020.
Beatriz Haddad Maia
Beatriz Haddad Maia has shown signs of resurgence, recording three consecutive wins for the first time this year. However, she has spent nearly seven hours on court during this run in Strasbourg. Those victories have come with difficulty, requiring comebacks against Clara Tauson and Magda Linette. To date, Beatriz Haddad Maia has committed 14 double faults in the tournament and posted rather average first-serve statistics, landing and winning just 68% of points on her first delivery.
Elena Rybakina vs Beatriz Haddad Maia Prediction
This match presents a great chance for Elena Rybakina to secure her first title of the season. She looks confident and is clearly comfortable in Strasbourg. In contrast, Beatriz Haddad Maia appears to be physically depleted and may struggle to match the level of a player of Elena Rybakina’s level.
