US Open 2023: Elena Rybakina vs Ajla Tomljanovic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Elena Rybakina vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Date: August 30, 2023
Tournament: US Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $65,000,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - Sky Sports | India - Sony Sports
Elena Rybakina vs Ajla Tomljanovic preview
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will face off against Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round of the 2023 US Open on Wednesday (August 30).
Rybakina faced World No. 39 Marta Kostyuk in the first round, to whom she had lost to at the Adelaide International 1 in January. The Kazakh didn't repeat the same mistakes this time around.
Rybakina dropped her serve once in the first set, but made up for it by breaking Kostyuk's serve thrice to clinch the opener. The second set was quite lop-sided, with the Kazakh dishing out a breadstick to win the match 6-2, 6-1.
Tomljanovic, meanwhile, took on Panna Udvardy in the first round here, which was also her very first match of the season. The opening set featured seven breaks of serve in the nine games that were played.
Udvardy was the only one who managed to hold serve, which helped her claim the set. Tomljanovic stormed back to take the second set and push the match into a decider.
The Aussie then fell behind 2-0 in the deciding set, but she was far from done. She dug deep to level the score and then broke Udvardy's serve in the final game of the match to register a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win.
Elena Rybakina vs Ajla Tomljanovic head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Elena Rybakina vs Ajla Tomljanovic odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Elena Rybakina vs Ajla Tomljanovic prediction
Rybakina showed no signs of injury that bothered her over the last couple of weeks during her win over Kostyuk. The Kazakh pounded the ball with ferocious intensity and her shots found their mark more often than not. She struck 26 winners against 21 unforced errors.
Tomljanovic's first match following a lengthy injury hiatus was a tough one, but she managed to persevere to make a winning return to the sport. She has fond memories at the venue as she defeated Serena Williams here last year en route to the quarterfinals.
However, given Tomljanovic's lack of match play, it's tough to see her getting the better of the in-form Rybakina. The latter has been one of the best performers on the tour this season. Unless the 2022 Wimbledon champion has a really bad day at work when they play, it's likely to be a routine win for her.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets.