Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Doha match.
Elena Rybakina continues her title pursuit at the WTA 1000 event in Doha, where she is one of the top favourites. Rebecca Šramková, meanwhile, has reached the third round of a tournament at this level for the first time in her career. The Slovakian has already achieved her best-ever result in Doha, but now faces her toughest challenge yet against a former world No.3.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina is currently ranked seventh in the world and has an impressive hard-court record in 2025, winning 9 of her 12 matches. She made a confident start in Doha, easing past Peyton Stearns (6:2, 6:4) in the opening round. Rybakina was dominant on return, converting six break points. Against lower-ranked opponents, she rarely drops her level—winning 10 of her last 12 matches against players outside the top 30 with a margin of at least five games.
Rebecca Šramková
The 28-year-old Slovakian is ranked 46th in the WTA rankings and has struggled for consistency on hard courts in 2025, winning just three of her seven matches. Despite solid victories over Donna Vekić and Yulia Putintseva, she has found it difficult to compete against top-tier opposition. In her last two meetings with top-10 players (Iga Świątek and Jasmine Paolini), she won just three games combined (0:6, 2:6 and 1:6, 2:6). Additionally, Šramková endured an exhausting three-hour battle against Mirra Andreeva in the previous round, coming back from 3:6, 3:5 down. This physical toll will make it even harder for her to challenge Rybakina.
Elena Rybakina vs Rebecca Šramková Prediction
Šramková is making progress, but this matchup looks too difficult for her. Rybakina has a dominant record against lower-ranked players, and Šramková's fatigue from her marathon match against Andreeva will only worsen her chances. A routine win for Rybakina seems likely.
