tennis | Friday, January 27, 2023 9:38 AM

Friday Tennis Best Bet: WTA Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina

Jon Reid

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Best Bet: Friday, January 27th

The final has arrived down under, as two sluggers of the ball will go toe-to-toe for the Australian Open crown.

It’s only fitting that a surging Aryna Sabalenka and quick-court aficionado, Elena Rybakina would be the two to square off in the warm conditions down under on courts that tend to play fairly quickly.

Let’s take a look at the matchup and what to expect.

In this article:

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Preview
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Best Bet

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Preview

January 28th, TBD (UK Time)

There couldn’t be two more deserving players contesting the final of the year’s first slam than Sabalenka and Rybakina.

The pair have been imperious over the course of the past fortnight, with the Belarussian playing the most complete, and consistent, game we’ve ever seen from her. Rybakina, meanwhile, has been serving lights out and continues to blast her way through her opposition on quicker courts.

Each has their own advantage in this matchup. For the current Wimbledon champion, it’s about the consistency with which she can play her big power game. For Sabalenka, it has to be the ability to move around the court, while matching the power the Kazakh can muster.

For my money, Sabalenka is rightly the slight favourite in the betting markets. Despite hitting a few more unforced errors and double faults than Rybakina, the combination of her athleticism and power makes her one of, if not the, most talented players on tour. If her game is clicking (as it has been all season – she’s yet to drop a set, let alone a match), she can stick with Rybakina on serve and is more likely to be able to move her opponent around and seize control of the baseline exchanges.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Best Bet

With each woman more than capable of holding serve, and each possessing something about their game the other doesn’t, backing the total games to go over isn’t the worst shout.

For myself, however, I’m simply looking to hedge the Rybakina outright that was posted here during the offseason, when I gave out my pre-draw Australian Open futures best bets.