Power hitting will be the order of the day when Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka clash in this year’s Australian Open final.
A new women’s champion will be crowned at Melbourne Park and neither of these players likes to shy away from going for the big shots.
Both have impressed Down Under, but Sabalenka has won all three of their previous meetings and was our pre-tournament pick to prevail.
We’re sticking with the Belarusian to oblige at 3/4 in our first Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka prediction.
Elena Rybakina odds
Rybakina does have the advantage of a grand slam title on her CV, having come from behind to beat Ons Jabeur in last year’s Wimbledon decider.
The Moscow-born 23-year-old, who now represents Kazakhstan, can also boast a great victory over world number one Iga Swiatek at this tournament.
Rybakina’s biggest weapon, her serve, was slightly off key against Victoria Azarenka in the semis but she battled to a 7-6 6-3 triumph.
“The conditions were different compared to other matches I played, but I think it was a really good match,” said the 22nd seed, who did not receive ranking points for her Wimbledon success.
“I’m tired but super happy to be in the final and ready to give everything I have left.”
She added: “Everything was new at Wimbledon. Now I more or less understand what to expect.”
However, all three of her past encounters with Sabalenka have gone the same way, with Rybakina rallying from a set down before being outmuscled in the third set.
Looking at the Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka odds, the latter is 13/4 to claim another 2-1 victory.
Aryna Sabalenka odds
Sabalenka has promised much in recent years but just fallen short at the business end of grand slam events.
She has crashed out at the semi-final stage of the last two US Open renewals and was beaten at the same point at Wimbledon in 2021, before being denied entry at SW19 last summer.
The 24-year-old was also edged out in the 2022 WTA Finals decider by Caroline Garcia, so there are a few mental demons to overcome.
However, Sabalenka has looked far more in control of her emotions during a current hot streak which saw her secure a title triumph in Adelaide before breezing through in Melbourne.
Unseeded Pole Magda Linette took her to a tiebreak in the opening set of their semi, but Sabalenka claimed that 7-1 and then powered through the second 6-2.
Nine straight wins without dropping a set is an impressive stat and the fifth seed has crucially overcome her past serving problems.
“It’s good that I kind of break through in the semi-finals, but there is one more match to go,” she declared. “I just want to stay focused.”
Reflecting on her last match, Sabalenka added: “I wasn’t feeling my rhythm quite well at the beginning. She was moving really well, putting everything back. I felt a little bit under pressure, which I expected.
“But then I started telling myself that I have to move a little bit better. I tried to focus on my movement. As I started focusing on my movement, I started feeling the rhythm better.”
Rybakina will be a tough foe, but the feeling remains that Sabalenka only has to beat herself when in this kind of form.
In past encounters, the Belarusian has won the first set 6-3 twice and prevailed 6-4 on the other occasion.
Let’s split our stakes between those scorelines at 21/4 and 5/1 respectively to complete our Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka betting tips.
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