Australian Open Women's final predictions: Side with Sabalenka against Rybakina
- Aryna Sabalenka is on a 10-match winning streak
- This is Elena Rybakina's second appearance in a Grand Slam final
- Sabalenka has won all three previous meetings between the two
- Recommended bet: Aryna Sabalenka to win
There will be a new winner crowned in the women's singles competition at the Australian Open this year with neither of the tournament's finalists Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina having triumphed in Melbourne before.
Sabalenka booked her place in the final with a straight-sets win over improving Magda Linette, while Rybakina saw off experienced two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in similar fashion in her semi-final.
Rybakina out to prove point after Wimbledon success
Kazakhstani Ryabkina has to go down as one of the most under-appreciated Grand Slam winners of the last several years.
Rybakina defied all expectations to win her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last summer, coming from a set down to beat Ons Jabeur in the final.
But ranking points were not awarded at Wimbledon last year, meaning Rybakina went into the subsequent US Open outside of the top 20 in the rankings, while she started her Australian Open campaign this month on a small outside court.
She has therefore been on a mission to prove she deserves to mix it with the best and making the final of another Grand Slam is most definitely a way of doing that.
Among her scalps, Rybakina can count the experienced Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and tournament top seed Iga Swiatek and, whatever happens on Saturday, she is a worthy finalist.
Maiden Grand Slam title beckons for red-hot Sabalenka
Rybakina will be a tough nut to crack but Belarusian Sabalenka is in red-hot form and is hard to oppose.
The fifth seed has made the final without dropping a set, having indeed won each of her last 20 sets in each of her last 10 matches.
That run also saw her pick up her 11th career title at the Adelaide International earlier in the month and she has looked a real force in Melbourne.
Sabalenka spoke before the tournament about adopting a more "boring" approach to achieve her goals and she is starting to show more consistency on the WTA tour as a result.
Prediction
Winning the Australian Open would be huge for both of these players — Rybakina wants to show that Wimbledon was no fluke and Sabalenka is in pursuit of her first Grand Slam title.
With all things considered, though, Sabalenka looks the better bet to win this one at 10/13 with LiveScore Bet.
Her preparations for the Grand Slam went brilliantly at the Adelaide International and she showed terrific mental resilience against Linette last time out, looking a little nervy at first but keeping her cool to win the first set in a tiebreak and the second 6-2.
Sabalenka can also draw confidence from the fact she leads the head-to-head between these players 3-0.
Two of those victories have come on hard courts and she can break her Grand Slam duck at the expense of Rybakina at the Rod Laver Arena.
Admittedly, all three previous meetings between the pair have gone the distance, but Sabalenka has taken both the first and deciding sets on each occasion and the more adventurous might back the Belarusian to win 2-1 at 3/1 with LiveScore Bet.
