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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Elena Rybakina vs Peyton Stearns
Date: February 11, 2025
Tournament: Qatar Open 2025
Round: Second Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Doha, Qatar
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize Money: $3,654,963
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Elena Rybakina vs Peyton Stearns preview
Two big strikers of the tennis ball, Elena Rybakina and Peyton Stearns, will lock horns in an exciting second-round encounter at the 2025 Qatar Open.
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Rybakina, the fifth seed at this year’s tournament, has had a more muted start to the season. Her impressive 8-3 win-loss does not include a title but a run to the Australian Open fourth round and the Abu Dhabi semifinals hold her in good stead.
The Kazakh scored big wins over the likes of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Emma Navarro to make the Qatar Open final in 2024 only to lose to Iga Swiatek. Fast forward 12 months and she is eyeing redemption in Qatar.
Stearns, meanwhile, is still looking to find her footing this season. A 5-4 win-loss translates into no consecutive main draw wins, but Stearns has shown promise by pushing the likes of Navarro, Paula Badosa, and Daria Kasatkina to the brink.
Playing her opener in Qatar, the American was impressive in her 7-5, 6-3 dismissal of recent Linz finalist Dayana Yastremska. She will look to build on a solid start to the campaign.
Elena Rybakina vs Peyton Stearns head-to-head
Rybakina and Stearns have never crossed paths on Tour before, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Elena Rybakina vs Peyton Stearns odds
(Odds will be added when available)
Elena Rybakina vs Peyton Stearns prediction
Given the gulf in rankings and level of experience, Elena Ryabkina will come into the contest being the heavy favorite to win. She will, however, need to be wary of the dogged American.
Peyton Stearns has made a reputation for being a bit of a fighter. She has pushed top names to the brink and it’s not just for the few matches this season. The American enjoys playing marathon tussles, grinding it out from the backcourt with her steady baseline game.
Unfortunately for her, the quick courts in Doha reward a more flashy brand of tennis that her opponent employs. The conditions will accentuate Rybakina’s big first serve and pacey groundstrokes.
Stearns got a taste of some big hitting during her opener against Dayana Yastremska, but Ryabkina is way steadier than the mercurial Ukrainian. Waiting for errors to come is unlikely to yield too much and the American will have to take a more proactive approach.
The baseline shots can work for Stearns but she will need to keep the intensity up throughout the encounter. She does not have the weapons like Ryabkina's serve or backhand to bail her out of tight spots. Any let-ups from her end could prove costly.
Prediction: Rybakina to win in two tight sets
