Elena Rybakina will contest another final on Sunday in Stuttgart, where she'll play Marta Kostyuk at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
This won't be either player's first final of this year, as Rybakina has both played and won finals this year. On the other hand, the Ukrainian hasn't won a trophy so far this year, but she has won a final before, so she's going to be very hungry for this one.
It's been an amazing week for Kostyuk, who bested Coco Gauff, among other solid results. Rybakina has also had a great week, with some impressive wins, such as the one over Iga Swiatek, who was unbeaten in Stuttgart before the match with the Kazakhstani player.
Head-to-head:
Rybakina and Kostyuk have played two times so far, and each player has one win. Their most recent match was last year at the US Open, and Rybakina won that match easily. She's the better player, realistically, and is a nightmare matchup for Kostyuk.
She's very solid from the baseline and has a lot of power, which can give the streaky Ukrainian plenty of problems. One thing that benefits Kostyuk is the very long match Rybakina played against Swiatek. That one likely drained Rybakina quite a bit, so if she's fatigued, maybe Kostyuk can take advantage.
| Elena Rybakina | Marta Kostyuk | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | H2H | 1 |
| 4 | Rank | 27 |
| 24 | Age | 21 |
| 25-4 | 2024 W/L | 19-6 |
| 314-136 | Career W/L | 199-114 |
Prediction:
Overall, I think Rybakina is more likely to win because she's the better player. She has the better serve, more power from the baseline, and is the better pure hitter
Both of them can be hit or miss at any moment, which makes it a bit tough to predict. I do think the overall consistency will power Rybakina to win this match, but I could see it going to three sets.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3.
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