Abu Dhabi Open 2024: Elena Rybakina vs Danielle Collins preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Elena Rybakina vs Danielle Collins
Date: February 8, 2024
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Open 2024
Round: Round of 16
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize money: $922,573
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TVA | Australia - beIN Sports
Elena Rybakina vs Danielle Collins preview
Top seed Elena Rybakina will kick off her 2024 Abu Dhabi campaign against Danielle Collins in the Round of 16 on Thursday, February 8.
Rybakina had a scintillating start to the new season, lifting the trophy In Brisbane after winning the lopsided final 6-0, 6-3, against the top seed Aryna Sabalenka. She also reached the quarterfinal of the Adelaide International the following week, bowing out in straight sets to Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Entering the Australian Open as one of the favorites after reaching the final in 2023, Rybakina saw off former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the first round 7-6 (6), 6-4. She suffered a shock second-round defeat at the hands of Russia's Anna Blinkova on the back of a historic tie-break that lasted more than 30 minutes.
Collins, meanwhile, kicked off her 2024 campaign with a couple of Round of 32 exits at the Brisbane and Hobart Internationals.
She beat three-time Grand Slam singles champion Angelique Kerber 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the first round, but ultimately succumbed to current World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the following round 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Elena Rybakina vs Danielle Collins head-to-head
Elena Rybakina leads the head-to-head 2-1 against Danielle Collins. They last met in the third round of the 2023 Australian Open where the Kazakh won 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
Elena Rybakina vs Danielle Collins odds
All odds are sources from BETMGM.
Elena Rybakina vs Danielle Collins prediction
Coming off a disappointing second-round defeat at the hands of Anna Blinkova at the Australian Open, Elena Rybakina will be looking to find the same form that saw her have a great 2023 season.
She hasn't been at her best on serve this year and has lacked consistency on both wings. Her baseline game has also been marred by numerous errors.
Danielle Collins, meanwhile, looked solid in her first-round encounter against former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka after plowing through the qualifiers of the Abu Dhabi Open. She won 86% of the points on her first serve and broke Osaka's serve 4 times.
Collins was timing the ball sweetly from the baseline during her win against the former World No. 1 and will look to carry that same form forward if she is to challenge Rybakina.
Given their history and their style of play, the Kazakh will be favored to advance.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets.