Adelaide International 1 2023: Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk
Date: January 4, 2023.
Tournament: Adelaide International 1.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $826,837.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk preview
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will cross swords with rising star Marta Kostyuk in the Round of 16 at the Adelaide International 1 on Wednesday.
Rybakina had the biggest breakthrough of her career last season at SW19, becoming the first-ever Kazakh to win a singles Grand Slam title. The World No. 21 also made a couple of other finals in 2022, one of which happens to be the Adelaide International 1. Having lost to the-then World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the summit clash, the 23-year-old will be keen to make amends and go one step further this time around.
The Kazakh has come to Australia after guiding Team Hawks to the title at the World Tennis League, a high-profile exhibition event held in Dubai last month. She accounted for World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final, which should be a big boost for her ahead of the new season.
The confidence was evident when Rybakina ground out a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win over fifth seed Danielle Collins on Monday to begin her Adelaide campaign in thunderous fashion.
Kostyuk, a 20-year-old from Ukraine, has been touted as the next big thing in women's tennis for some time. Although she is yet to win a title in singles, she has a solitary doubles title to her name, which she won in Portoroz in 2022.
Her highest career ranking is 49, which she achieved in February last year and her best Grand Slam showing so far remains a fourth-round appearance at the French Open in 2021.
Kostyuk's best performance of 2022 was a trip to the semifinals of the WTA 250 event in Granby, Canada. Clearly, the youngster has the potential to accomplish more and will be keen to do exactly that this year.
Now ranked 69th, Kostyuk won two rounds of qualifying at Adelaide before defeating Jaimee Fourlis 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in the first round.
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk head-to-head
Rybakina and Kostyuk have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head remains tied at a 0-0 deadlock.
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk prediction
Although Kostyuk is a talented player with a power-packed aggressive game, she blows hot and cold during matches. Handling pressure remains a major issue for the youngster, who committed as many as eight double faults during her first-round encounter with Jaimee Fourlis.
With Rybakina coming into this contest with oodles of self-belief, Kostyuk certainly has a tough job on her hands. The Kazakh takes the ball early and hits flat off both wings. Her experience of playing the bigger events as well as the final at Adelaide last year should work to her advantage.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets.