Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko Western and Southern Open Preview and Expert Tip: Mercurial Ostapenko Worth Backing as Long Odds Outsider

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko (Western and Southern Open): Wednesday, August 16th

Well, it’s another loss from a set-up, but considering it was Bernarda Pera that was backed, I can’t be too upset. She’s a volatile player, and that’s always a risk when taking her to win a match.

For our WTA preview for Wednesday’s tennis at the Western & Southern Open, let’s jump into the Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko match.

• Expert Tip
• Elena Rybakina Recent Form
• Jelena Ostapenko Recent Form
• Stat of The Match

---

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko Expert Tip

Potential physical issues, a vulnerable backhand and questionable foot speed, are all question marks I have regarding Rybakina heading into this encounter.

She’s certainly the more mentally solid player in this one and has the edge when it comes to the service game, but I’m not sure that’s enough at present to justify her being a dominant favourite.

She’s looked vulnerable in recent months to much weaker opponents than the likes of Ostapenko, has withdrawn once in Paris and has lost each of her last three matches from a set-up (in a rather bleak fashion, no less). I’ll happily back Ostapenko to make things competitive in a few ways here.

Read on for more expert insights.

• Expert Tip: Over 21 Games at 1.90 with Pinnacle, using 2/10 stakes & Ostapenko to win at 3.11 with Pinnacle, using 1/10 stakes.

Elena Rybakina Recent Form

Her record may be sparkling this year, but Rybakina is often seen as one of the most mentally tough players on tour for a reason: she often wins ugly against players that most fans, as well as the betting markets, would expect her to dominate.

Since her improbable title run in Rome, the Kazakh has had to retire prior to her third-round match at the French Open, lost her second match in Berlin as a big favourite to Donna Vekic, lost a set to Shelby Rogers as a 1.15-odds on favourite, needed a second-set injury to Alize Cornet to avoid going to a deciding set in that match as well and ultimately fell apart against Ons Jabeur in a rematch of last year’s final.

Then in Montreal, to kick off her summer hard-court swing, she just got by a returning Jennifer Brady (once again as a huge favourite in the markets), played an incredibly ugly match that she probably should’ve lost into the wee hours of the morning against Daria Kasatkina and then lost in three sets to Ludmilla Samsonova.

Whether she’s played a lot of tennis and that’s simply catching up to her, or she’s struggling because there’s a lack of variety and dimension to her game that she hasn’t been able to power through (both literally and figuratively), I’m not sure.

I do know, however, that she doesn’t look anywhere near the level of a typical No. 4 player in the world.

Jelena Ostapenko Recent Form

Ostapenko has her own set of issues, though hers are more to do with being a rather hot and cold player.

One moment she can’t miss, and her blistering power is simply untouchable, and the next, she can’t find the court, allowing her frustration and poor attitude to compound the problems.

That said, she is a former grand slam champion, has elite power from the baseline and can absolutely beat anyone on any given day.

She can be tough to back as a favourite (anecdotally, see her match against the aforementioned Brady, where she lost a pair of tiebreaks yet won another set 6-0), but is certainly enticing as a higher-odds underdog.

With Rybakina simply not looking as dominant in the last few months and Ostapenko’s raw talent, I’m happy to take a risk at a rather cheap price.

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko H2H – Stat of the Match

These two have played four times in the past, with each winning twice. I would caution, though, that Rybakina has won on the last two occasions, and one of Ostapenko’s wins came four years ago, at a very different time in Rybakina’s career.

Nothing really stands out statistically as a stat of the match type number here. It’s primarily a play on Ostapenko’s potential and concerns over Rybakina’s all-around form of late.

Odds as at 3:00 am UK Time on August 16th, 2023. Odds may now differ.

---

Responsible Gambling

At bettingexpert, we always take a responsible approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase our losses. For more advice, head to our Responsible Gambling hub.