Cincinnati 2023: Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Western & Southern Open
Match details
Fixture: (4) Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Date: August 16
Venue: Cincinnati, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Sportsnet, TVA Sports | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv
Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko preview
The second round of the 2023 Western & Southern Open will have two fine strikers of the tennis ball — Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko — lock horns in a marquee encounter.
Rybakina, the fourth seed at this year's tournament, was given a bye in the first round. That would have come as a big relief for the Kazakh, who will get a couple of extra days to recover from her semifinal run in Montreal.
Rybakina got the better of Jennifer Brady and Daria Kasatkina before she finally ran out of steam against Liudmila Samsonova. Nonetheless, the run saw her improve her win-loss record for the season to 38-10.
Ostapenko is also in the midst of a successful season in 2023. She opened her campaign with a quarterfinal run in Melbourne before lifting her sixth career trophy at the Birmingham Classic.
The Latvian's results in recent weeks, however, have been slightly underwhelming. She came into the US Open swing fresh off a second-round exit at Wimbledon and lost her opening match in Montreal. The same weighed heavily on her win-loss for the season — which improved slightly 28-15 after her win over Karolina Pliskova in the first round here.
Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head
Rybakina and Ostapenko have split their previous four meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at a 2-2 deadlock. The Kazakh, however, has won both their matches that took place this year.
Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko odds
(Odds to be updated when they are released)
Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction
Both Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko enjoy playing on the quick courts in Cincinnati, and fans can expect some great shotmaking from the second-round encounter.
Rybakina's big serve is a weapon, one that she relied on during tight situations in Montreal. The windy conditions in Cincinnati, however, may complicate things a bit for the Kazakh.
The presence of an aggressive returner in the form of Ostapenko at the other end of the net will only add to the pressure. The Latvian has already managed to impress with her return game as she picked up a whopping 75% points on the Pliskova second serve.
The match will be a showcase for first-strike tennis and the player who manages to get the upper hand in the rally first. And given the conditions, Ostapenko might be better equipped to do so.
Prediction: Ostapenko to win in three sets