UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
We’ve been through six rounds of the 2023 Australian Open, and the last two weeks have featured some intense matches. This hasn’t been a great tournament for the top seeded players, as none of the top four seeds made it past the fourth round. As a matter of fact, only one of the top 20 seeded players reached the quarterfinals of this competition.
As it stands, 126 of our original 128 contestants have been knocked out, and we have two players battling for the title on Saturday. With that in mind, let’s take a look at these players, their paths to the final, and our prediction for the 2023 Australian Open women’s final.
Elena Rybakina: the Journey So Far
Contents
Elena Rybakina’s path to the Australian Open final has been a challenging one. The 23 year old has had a tough draw, facing four seeded players in four consecutive matches prior to the final. The Kazakhstani has faced the likes of Iga Swiatek, Victoria Azarenka, Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko in her last four matches alone. Three of these are former grand slam champions, while the other reached the final of last year’s Australian Open.
Despite the calibre of players she has faced in this event, Rybakina has lost only one set across six matches. As a matter of fact, she’s coming to three consecutive straight sets victories over three former grand slam champions. It’s also worth mentioning that Rybakina is a former grand slam champion herself, as she triumphed at Wimbledon last year. On that note, the 23 year old will be eyeing her second grand slam title here.
Aryna Sabalenka: the Journey So Far
Aryna Sabalenka is perhaps the most in-form player on the WTA Tour right now. The Belarusian hasn’t just defeated her opponents, she completely steamrolls them. It’s worth noting that Sabalenka’s impressive run started at the first Adelaide event earlier this month. She hoisted her first title of the year whilst not dropping a set.
Interestingly, the 24 year old extended her fine form into the 2023 Australian Open, dispatching all of her opponents in straight sets. It’s important to point out that Sabalenka has played 10 singles matches so far this year, and all of those matches she won in straight sets.
Unlike her opponent however, Aryna Sabalenka has never won a singles grand slam title in her career. In fact, this will be her first ever grand slam final match, as she was 0 for 3 in grand slam semifinals prior to this tournament. With that in mind, it’ll be interesting to see how the Belarusian will match-up against Elena Rybakina.
2023 Australian Open Women’s Final Prediction
These players have clashed four times across all competitions, and although Elena Rybakina won their last encounter, that win came in an exhibition match. The reality is, Aryna Sabalenka has won when it counts; she has three wins in as many competitive fixtures between these players.
It’s also important to point out that even though the Belarusian has dominated previous skirmishes between these two, those clashes haven’t exactly been one-sided. In fact, every encounter between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka ended in three sets, including non-competitive fixtures.
That said, we believe that this will be a tightly contested fixture, with both players winning at least one set. However, considering Sabalenka’s unreal form, coupled with the way she has dominated this opponent in the past, we believe she’ll win this match in three sets.
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!