Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka Odds & Prediction
March 17, 2023; Indian Wells, California, United States; Aryna Sabalenka smiles at the crowd after defeating Maria Sakkari (GRE) in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
- Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka clash in the Indian Wells final (Sunday, 4 p.m. EDT)
- It is their first meeting since the Australian Open; Sabalenka leads their neck-and-neck race 4-0
- Both are in top form at this tournament. Who will win? We break it down and make a prediction
Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka, two of the best servers and toughest hitters on the WTA Tour, will clash in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, as they did in the Australian Open final almost two months ago. Read on for an analysis of Rybakina vs. Sabalenka.
Rybakina vs Sabalenka
| player | spread | money line | In total |
|---|---|---|---|
| [10] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) | +2.5 (-114) | +136 | O22.5 (-110) |
| [2] Arina Sabalenka (BLR) | -2.5 (-114) | -164 | U 22.5 (-122) |
With odds of -275, Sabalenka is the favorite in Rybakina vs. Sabalenka on Sunday afternoon (4 p.m. EDT). Sakkari is the underdog at +220 odds. Odds as of March 18th at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Rybakina disassembles Swiatek
Rybakina took care of Iga Swiatek in the round of 16 at the Australian Open this year with 6: 4, 6: 4. So a surprise was definitely possible.
But it was hard to predict that the 23-year-old Russian-born Kazakh would give the world No. 1 so much uproar.
It was competitive – at the very beginning. After that, Rybakina did such an effective, aggressive job on return service – even on Swiatek’s first serve, which didn’t have the usual speed – that it wasn’t a contest.
Elena Rybakina 💬: “Iga (Świątek), she’s a tough, really tough opponent, but when I play so well and everything goes in – because today I played at my highest level in a few moments, I would say – you can tell feel good , I can beat anyone if I play like this all the time.” pic.twitter.com/nUF70HTqEs
– We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) March 18, 2023
Swiatek wrestled with… something this week. She’s still blowing her nose during transitions that first began when she contracted a virus in the Middle East. And it took her four hours to get to her press conference after her quarterfinal win, citing “personal issues to take care of.” Turns out it’s a problem with her rib, which could explain the slower speed on the first serve.
Rybakina vs. Sabalenka head-to-head
| 23 (June 17, 1999) | Old | 24 (May 5, 1998) |
| Moscow, Russia | Place of birth | Minsk, Belarus |
| 6-0 | Height | 5-11 |
| 3 | Career WTA singles title | 12 |
| No. 10 (01/30/2023) | Career Best Ranking | No. 2 (08/23/2021) |
| #10 | Current ranking | No. 2 |
| $7,606,187 | career prize money | $14,446,131 |
| 15-4 | Win/Loss Record 2022 | 18-1 |
| 0 | Head to head wins | 4 |
Sabalenka sits down Sakkari
In the earlier semi-final on Friday, Sabalenka dealt a similar blow to Sakkari. It was a match that was delayed by more than half an hour because… the audio on the referee’s chair and for the Hawkeye Live system was not working.
There were even “emergency” referees willing to take over if necessary.
A delay in the first Women’s Semifinals here in Indian Wells due to technical issues with the on court mic ⤵️ and the chair umpire’s mic is not working.
🇬🇧 Sakkari vs. Sabalenka hopefully coming soon… 🤷#TheFirstServe pic.twitter.com/gLUVUH7Ze9
— The First Serve (@TheFirstServeAU) March 17, 2023
In the end things were settled. But Sabalenka just choked Sakkari – so aggressively on the second serve that it put tremendous pressure on both the Greek star’s first and second serves.
Rybakina did the same in the nightcap against Swiatek.
Rybakina vs Sabalenka Match History
| Year | competition | surface | score | winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Australian Open (F) | outdoors hard | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 | Sabalenka |
| 2021 | Wimbledon (R16) | grass | 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 | Sabalenka |
| 2021 | Abu Dhabi (QF) | outdoors hard | 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 | Sabalenka |
| 2019 | Wuhan (QF) | outdoors hard | 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 | Sabalenka |
Big edge for Sabalenka in the head-to-head
All four games between these two went the distance. And only at the youngest in Melbourne in January did Sabalenka fail to win the first set.
Ultimately, given what we saw on Friday, it could come down to which player defends her second serve better.
On paper, Sabalenka has a better, more effective second serve. At the same time, her troubles with 2022’s serve are never too far in the rear-view mirror and if Rybakina can apply enough pressure on that second serve, she could manage to crack it on this very big occasion.
That’s a big request. But she is perfectly capable of it.
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Rybakina vs Sabalenka prediction
This game is shaping up to be a perfectly even encounter, even if Sabalenka is a slight favourite.
Before she won her first Grand Slam title, we might have categorized Sabalenka as a slight underdog. But after that she plays like a great champion.
And Rybakina is already a great champion.
Picking Sabalenka in three sets (+270). But it could go either way, and her story suggests it’s going to be a long one.
Rybakina vs. Sabalenka Tips: Both players win a set (+114)
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Stephanie Myles
sports journalist
Stephanie gets the pure dope from the tennis insiders. She has represented her country internationally in court. A BA in journalism led to years in the MLB beat and a decade on tennis worldwide. She writes for Postmedia, the Guardian, the New York Times and also edits OpenCourt.ca.
https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/news/tennis/elena-rybakina-vs-aryna-sabalenka-odds-prediction-indian-wells-womens-singles-final/ Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka Odds & Prediction