Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Wimbledon match.
Elena Rybakina comes into Wimbledon as one of the tournament's dark horses. Not long ago, she pushed World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to the limit, forcing two tiebreaks in a tight contest. Now, she faces World No. 49 Elina Avanesyan, who faces a significant challenge in this encounter.
Elina Avanesyan
Avanesyan's form is under serious scrutiny. Over the past three months, the Armenian has played just three matches — all on clay — and won only one set in total. At Roland-Garros, she suffered a heavy defeat to World No. 117 Anhelina Kalinina (1:6, 2:6), so it's no surprise to see her enter this contest as a major underdog.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina, on the other hand, has played five matches on grass this season and performed well in Berlin. Though she was eliminated in the quarter-finals, it took the best player in the world to stop her — and even then, Sabalenka needed two tiebreaks (6:7, 6:3, 6:7) to edge out the Kazakhstani. Rybakina fired 14 aces in that match and looked every bit a title contender.
Elina Avanesyan vs Elena Rybakina Prediction
The rankings say it all, and Rybakina won’t want to waste energy early on. Expect a swift and dominant performance.
