Elena Rybakina is back on the tennis courts at the 2024 Miami Open with a chance to advance to the fourth round if she beats Taylor Townsend.
Rybakina didn't play in Indian Wells, which was unfortunate as she was the defending champion. She is playing at the WTA 1000 event in Miami this week, hoping to do as well as she did last year when she made the final
It was a good start for her in the previous round, beating Clara Tauson in three sets. It was far from a perfect match for the Kazakhstani player, but it's expected that she'll do better with every match she'll play.
Up next is a tricky opponent who found some good form in Miami, so this might end up being a bit more complicated than Rybakina would have liked.
Despite both competing for a while, Rybakina and Townsend have never played against each other. The American is generally a typical American player performing really well on hard courts, especially on those on home soil.
She's had a decent year so far with an 8-6 record, but not as good as Rybakina, of course. She can be tricky to play against with her aggressive style, but I don't see her really doing well against the fourth seed in this match. Rybakina's level is fluctuating a bit, but I think she'll be able to handle this one with ease.
| Elena Rybakina | Taylor Townsend | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 4 | Rank | 72 |
| 24 | Age | 27 |
| 18-3 | 2024 W/L | 8-6 |
| 307-135 | Career W/L | 272-160 |
I expect Rybakina to take control of the rallies and then outplay her opponent. It might be close for a while, but the more the match goes on, the better I expect Rybakina to be. She's just been that good this year, and Miami suits her as an event.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in two sets.