Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Montreal match.
Marta Kostyuk has put together an impressive run in Montreal, becoming just the fourth player in WTA 1000 history to come back from a set down on three occasions in a single tournament. The Ukrainian now faces Elena Rybakina, who has performed well on hard courts this season, although her serve has at times been let down by unforced errors.
Marta Kostyuk
This is the third time this season that Marta Kostyuk has reached the quarter-finals of a significant tournament, having done so previously in Doha and Madrid. She has shown determination and momentum in Montreal: rallying against Marketa Vondrousova, edging past Daria Kasatkina, and demonstrating resilience against McCartney Kessler. Still, her overall record against top-20 opponents remains modest, with just three victories in her last 15 encounters. The head-to-head record between Kostyuk and Rybakina is level at 2:2, though Elena has come out on top in their two most recent meetings.
Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina has been advancing steadily through the draw and remains in the hunt to reclaim a place in the top 10. She holds a 20:8 record on hard courts in 2025 and has won four of her seven quarter-final appearances this season, only losing to top-tier opponents like Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka. In Montreal, her progress has not been without challenges — she was taken to a tiebreak by Jaqueline Cristian and required three sets and 32 games to get past Dayana Yastremska. Nevertheless, each of her wins in the tournament has come with at least a four-game cushion.
Marta Kostyuk vs Elena Rybakina Prediction
Marta Kostyuk has already surpassed expectations. Despite a somewhat unconvincing finish against Dayana Yastremska, Rybakina’s consistent form this season gives her the edge. Elena is tipped to reach the semi-finals in Montreal while successfully covering the -3.5 game handicap.
