Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA 1000 Dubai match.
Ryabakina has come close to a title for the first time since April, while Andreeva continues her ascent towards the top 10. Both are playing powerful tennis, so the match is expected to be hard-fought. The Kazakhstani outclasses her opponent in experience and serving, but the Russian has shown impressive movement and confidently dealt with Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
Elena Rybakina
The Kazakhstani tennis player is performing confidently on outdoor hard courts and is close to matching her best result in Dubai – reaching the 2020 final. In her two most recent matches, Rybakina served 27 aces, and in the quarterfinal she hit 17 aces while committing just three double faults. However, Elena has frequently struggled against top-20 opponents, having lost four out of her last six matches against such players. This season, she has not managed to reach the final at major tournaments, and in the past 10 months she has not recorded a win in any Masters events.
Mirra Andreeva
The Russian is on the verge of a historic milestone – breaking into the world top 10. At the Dubai tournament, Andreeva produced a notable upset by defeating world number two, Swiatek (6:3, 6:3). Mirra conceded only one break point, won 73% of her first serve points, and recorded 10 aces. It is also worth noting that she managed her nerves well, saving 14 out of 19 break points during the tournament.
Elena Rybakina vs Mirra Andreeva Prediction
In two out of her three matches at this tournament, the total number of games exceeded 20, and in her only full-length head-to-head encounter with Andreeva the match went to three sets (2:6, 6:4, 6:1). The stakes are too high for the match to be wrapped up in straight sets, particularly with a final berth on the line. Therefore, we will take the bet on Total Over 20.5 games.
