Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Strasbourg match.
Both players arrive at this stage off the back of solid wins, but it’s Elena Rybakina who enters as the clear favourite — thanks to her superior class, recent form, and head-to-head dominance. While Linette is enjoying a tidy run, her counter-punching style is unlikely to trouble Rybakina’s relentless baseline aggression.
Magda Linette
The 33-year-old Pole has looked composed this week, taking out Barbora Krejčíková (6:3, 6:3) and Rebecca Šramková (6:4, 6:3). Still, those opponents came into Strasbourg without much momentum or match sharpness. Linette thrives as a reactive player — relying on consistency and capitalising on opponents’ errors. That strategy has its limits, especially against heavy hitters like Rybakina. In their two previous encounters, Linette lost both — once in three sets (Ostrava 2021) and more recently in straight sets at the Billie Jean King Cup 2023. She’s also lost four of her last six matches against top-20 opposition.
Elena Rybakina
The Kazakh star opened her Strasbourg campaign in ruthless fashion, dismantling local hope Alice Robbe (6:1, 6:3) in just over an hour. She fired six aces and won 79% of points behind her first serve — a commanding display on clay. Rybakina is no stranger to these courts, having reached the final here in 2020 and winning five of six career matches in Strasbourg. Her current clay-court form is also impressive, with all three of her 2025 wins on the surface coming in straight sets.
Magda Linette vs Elena Rybakina Prediction
Rybakina looks well-tuned for this stage of the season and has all the tools to break through Linette’s resistance. Their previous meetings support the gap in level — with both wins for Rybakina by at least four games. Expect a similar outcome here as she marches on in Strasbourg.
