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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Elena Rybakina vs (25) Elise Mertens
Date: June 1, 2024
Tournament: French Open 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Clay (Outdoor)
Prize Money: £53,478,000
Live Telecast: USA - NBC, Tennis Channel, Peacock | Canada - TSN, RDS | UK - Eurosport, Discovery+ | India - Sony Ten
Elena Rybakina vs Elise Mertens preview
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina will take on Elise Mertens in the third round of the 2024 French Open on Saturday.
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Rybakina secured a 6-2, 6-3 win over Greet Minnen to book a second-round date with Arantxa Rus. The Kazakh found herself in trouble early in the first set, as she faced a break point over two of her service games. She fended them off with ease to hold serve and turned the tables on her opponent.
Unlike Rus, Rybakina didn't falter when she had a break point and snagged a break to go 5-3 up. She served out the opener with ease to take the lead. The former Wimbledon champion was on the back foot, as she fell behind 4-2 in the second set. She got back on track, though, reeling off four straight games for a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Mertens, meanwhile, beat Maria Lourdes Carle in straight sets to reach the second round, where she was up against Petra Martic. The Belgian pushed herself ahead courtesy of an early break in the first set but stumbled while trying to close out the set at 5-3.
However, Mertens broke back immediately to clinch the set. The two went toe-to-toe until 3-3 in the second set, after which the Belgian broke the deadlock by going on a three-game run for a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Elena Rybakina vs Elise Mertens head-to-head
Rybakina leads Mertens 4-1 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2024 Brisbane International in straight sets.
Elena Rybakina vs Elise Mertens odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Elena Rybakina vs Elise Mertens prediction
Mertens played a solid match against Martic, and aside from a slight wobble at the end of the first set, she didn't do much wrong. She kept her streak of reaching the third round in Paris every year since her debut in 2017 intact.
In fact, since the 2018 Australian Open, she has failed to reach at least the third round of a Major only twice, at the 2022 US Open and this year's Australian Open.
Rybakina had moments where she was tested by Rus in the previous round, but she rose to the occasion to get the job done. She hit 28 winners compared to 20 unforced errors.
Mertens has a losing record against the Kazakh, but she won their only encounter on clay. However, Rybakina handed her a beatdown when they crossed paths in Brisbane this year, conceding only one game. Given her form, she's likely to secure another dominant win over the Belgian.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets
