Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the United Cup match.
Elena Rybakina ranks among the leaders of global tennis and is Kazakhstan’s main hope in the United Cup. The match against Jessica Maniero offers Rybakina a chance to confidently step into the new season. For Jessica, facing a top player will test her resilience and provide much-needed experience at this stage of her career.
Elena Rybakina
The past season was one of the most successful in Rybakina's career, boasting 43 wins against 11 losses and securing three WTA 500 titles. Rybakina exhibited strong form across all surfaces, including an impressive 13 wins out of her last 16 matches on hard courts in Australia. Her style, featuring a powerful serve and aggressive flat shots, makes her particularly dangerous on fast surfaces. Notably, Rybakina consistently performs well in Australian tournaments, peaking at the start of the season. She was the finalist at the 2023 Australian Open and took the title at Brisbane in 2024.
Jessica Maniero
Jessica Maniero finished last season with an impressive 50-24 record, though most of her success came in lower-profile tournaments. Her hard court achievements are more modest, with just 18 wins against 12 losses for the season and a solitary victory over a top-50 player in her career. Maniero lacks experience against top-tier players on fast surfaces, evidenced by her five losses in six hard court matches against top-50 opponents. Her weak serve and inconsistency in rapid exchanges could be her undoing against the aggressive Rybakina.
Elena Rybakina vs Jessica Maniero Prediction
Rybakina possesses all the necessary qualities to dominate this encounter. Her powerful serve and attacking game are ideally suited for fast courts, whereas Maniero struggles significantly on hard surfaces. The Spaniard lacks the level to challenge a top-10 player. Therefore, we predict a win for Rybakina with a 2-0 scoreline.
