Italian Open 2023: Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko Preview, Prediction, and Live Stream

Elena Rybakina will be facing Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-final match of the Rome Open. The World No. 6 is aiming to claim her second WTA 1000 title of the season, after her victorious triumph at the Indian Wells Masters. On the other hand, Ostapenko is eager to book her first final appearance at the Italian Open. The match will be nothing short of a thriller, with both players playing their absolute best in their fourth WTA head-to-head. 

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko: Match Details

• Tournament: Internazionali BNL d’Italia
• Match: Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko
• Date: 19th May 2023
• Time: TBD
• Venue: Rome, Italy
• Round: Semi-finals
• Surface: Claycourt
• Prize Money: $165,014

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Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko: Preview

Elena Rybakina made a ‘grand’ start this year after reaching her second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. The Wimbledon champion was expected to win the championship but fell short of the ‘spectacular’ game of Aryna Sabalenka. At the Indian Wells Masters, Kazak won her fourth career title with a straight-set victory over Sabalenka. Her back-to-back final appearances in the Miami Open led her to finish her run as the runner-up. With the start of clay tours, the World No. 6 faced early upsets at the Barcelona and Madrid Opens. 

In the Italian Open, Rybakina has been playing ‘phenomenal tennis,” as she started the tour with her first-round victory over Jasmine Paolini (7-6, 6-1). After the walkover of Anna Kalinskaya in the second round (4-3) and defeating Marketa Vondrousova in the third round (6-3, 6-3), the Kazak player set her quarterfinal date with Iga Swiatek. As the match went into a decider, the World No. 1 took an injury retirement and handed the victory to Rybakina in 2-6, 7-6 [7], 2-2. 

On the other hand, Jelena Ostapenko had a rather ‘disappointing’ start to this year. The World No. 20 faced early exits at both the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open. She couldn’t get past the round of 16 in her past tournaments. In the Stuttgart Open, the Latvian lost her round of 16 matches to Ons Jabeur. Her Madrid Open expectations faced an early upset after her defeat in the round of 32 by Liudmila Samsonova. The former French Open champion has been unable to maintain ‘consistency’ in her performance on the clay surface. 

At the Rome Open, Ostapenko fared well past Sorana Cristea and Barbora Krejcikova in the first and second rounds, respectively. In the third round, the 25-year-old defeated Daria Kasatkina in three sets (6-4, 4-6, 6-0) to reach the quarterfinals. After winning the first set in the quarterfinals, Paula Badosa fought back for her place in the semi-finals, and the match went into a decider. In spite of the challenge from the Spaniard, Ostapenko won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Looking at the head-to-head of both players, this will be their fourth meeting, since their first encounter at the Linz Open in 2019. With a match-winning record of 2-1, the Latvian has outperformed Rybakina in their on-court battles. However, in their last meeting at the Australian Open, the 23-year-old defeated Ostapenko in straight sets in the quarterfinals. 

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko: Prediction

While looking at the stats, Ostapenko does have an upper hand in clay over the Wimbledon champion. The World No. 20 has reached two quarterfinals in Rome, in 2018 and 2021, and knows the requirements of the surface. As the former Roland Garros champion, she has an explosive game style and is quite dynamic with her shots. 

However, Ostapenka has been marked with inconsistency in her performances. On the other hand, Rybakina is expected to bring her best tennis on the court with her reliable style, particularly behind the serve. Their intriguing rivalry with definitely bring fireworks during their clash tomorrow.

Prediction: Elena Rybakina will win the match in three sets.

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko: Live Stream details for the Italian Open

Tennis Channel/ TC Plus – USA

Amazon – United Kingdom, Ireland

beIN SPORTS – Australia

beIN SPORTS – Middle East

MIGU – China

beIN SPORTS – Singapore

beIN SPORTS Southeast Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, East Timor, Philippines, Singapore

Eurosport – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, France

PCCW – Hong Kong

WOWOW – Japan

Cosmote – Greece

Sky – Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Telefonica/ Movistar – Spain

Hellenic (OTE TV) – Greece

Polsat – Poland

ESPN International Latam – Latin America

Supersport Africa – Africa

Sky NZ – New Zealand

Sony LIV – India

TSN – Canada

S Sport – Turkey

Tennis TV – Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

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