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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Elena Rybakina vs [Q] Jasmine Paolini
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2023
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Cincinnati, US
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv
Elena Rybakina vs Jasmine Paolini preview
World No. 4 Elena Rybakina will face Italy's Jasmine Paolini for a place in the quarterfinals at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.
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Rybakina has been in some fine form this year, having compiled an impressive 38-10 win-loss record so far. The Kazakh has backed up her 2022 Wimbledon triumph well, reaching this year's Australian Open final and winning two WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Rome, respectively.
Notably, she has also beaten World No. 1 Iga Swiatek twice this year already — not many players can boast of this feat on the Hologic WTA tour.
Having said that, the big-hitter has been a bit underwhelming since her Italian Open title victory, failing to reach the semifinals in Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The Kazakh international was also undone by terrible scheduling by WTA in last week's Canadian Open.
After being given a 3 a.m. start against Daria Kasatkina in the quarterfinals (which she won in three tough sets), her last-four match against Liudmila Samsonova was delayed to Sunday due to rain.
As a consequence, Rybakina was not in a great rhythm and lost 6-1, 1-6, 2-6 to the Belarusian. She will be looking to make amends in Cincinnati this week and was in great shape as she doused an in-form Jelena Ostapenko's challenge in three sets to reach the third round of the WTA 1000 event.
World No. 43 Jasmine Paolini, meanwhile, has accumulated a 24-10 win-loss record this year. The highlights of her 2023 season include a title at the Firenze Open and two runner-up finishes at Palermo Open and Makarska Open.
Although she usually does well in WTA 125 and WTA 250 events, the Italian hadn't made much of an impact at the big tournaments in 2023 until this week. Paolini qualified for the WTA 1000 event, before squashing higher-ranked opponents like Marta Kostyuk and Cristina Bucșa to reach the third round.
Elena Rybakina vs Jasmine Paolini head-to-head
The head-to-head between Elina Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini currently stands at 1-0 in favor of Rybakina. The 24-year-old Kazakh beat the Italian in straight sets in the second round of this year's Italian Open.
Elena Rybakina vs Jasmine Paolini odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Elena Rybakina vs Jasmine Paolini prediction
While Elena Rybakina has impressed the tennis community with her shot-making and precise serve over the last year, she has struggled to produce her best when put under pressure. The Kazakh is prone to spraying errors on her forehand at times, especially in longer rallies.
Paolini, on the other hand, doesn't have powerful groundstrokes like her opponent. However, she can hit close to the lines and has a reliable backhand, which helps her hold her own during rallies.
Although she is a very stable player from the baseline, her shots are not very likely to penetrate through the medium-paced courts of Cincinnati. Rybakina will perhaps be at relative ease during their third-round encounter and serving at a high percentage will get her across the finish line.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets.
