Jabeur vs Rybakina predictions: Classy Kazakh can uphold last season’s final form
- Elena Rybakina won last season’s Wimbledon title, beating Ons Jabeur 2-1 in the final
- All three completed matches between this pair have gone to a deciding set
- Recommended bet: Elena Rybakina to win 2-1
In what is a repeat of last season’s final, Ons Jabeur will be hoping she can exact some revenge on defending champion Elena Rybakina in this year’s Wimbledon quarter-final.
Kazakhstan world number three Rybakina came from a set down to deny Jabeur at the All England Club last year and, in doing so, got her first taste of Grand Slam glory.
Both players have contested for Major silverware since with Jabeur also finishing runner-up at last season’s US Open and Rybakina playing second fiddle to world number two Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open in January.
So with both players now firmly established in the world’s top 10, this promises to be a quarter-final epic between two of the game's finest grass-court talents.
Jabeur has great variety to her play and is an excellent mover while Rybakina brings the power and her giant serve is a potent weapon.
The stats
This is set to be the fifth career meeting between these two players and the pair are currently locked at two wins apiece.
However, one of Jabeur’s victories, which came in Chicago last year, saw Rybakina retire hurt when trailing by a set.
The three completed contests all went to a deciding set though, which shows how evenly-matched these rivals are when they both bring their A-game to the court.
Jabeur has lost only three of her last 19 grass-court encounters while Rybakina has lost only one of her last 13, again emphasising how dominant they are on this surface.
Both players have come through three of their four All England Club assignments without dropping a set, although Rybakina’s last-16 victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia lasted only 21 minutes as the Brazilian retired when 4-1 down in the opening set.
The strong-serving Rybakina has been broken only once during the tournament, which came in the opening game of her first-round clash with Shelby Rogers.
Prediction
Tunisian world number six Jabeur has had the tougher route to the last eight with her recent scalps including former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova.
But Rybakina’s easy ride - she has spent a total of only one hour and 19 minutes on court across the last two rounds - could benefit her in a contest which looks sure to go long.
The defending champion is one of the best servers on the WTA Tour and that aspect of her game is well suited to the demands of Wimbledon, something which allows her to win plenty of cheap points.
Jabeur may have to graft a little harder to hold her serve and while she is evidently in excellent heart, it is the Kazakhstan world number three that looks a worthy favourite.
Rybakina had fitness concerns coming into her title defence, having withdrawn prior to her French Open third-round clash, but her performances at Wimbledon have quashed any lingering doubts.
The 24-year-old has lost only eight of the 39 matches she has contested this year and while Jabeur is able to force a final set, the third seed can prevail.
