By admin 
Round 3 of the WTA Finals Group A will see the exciting match between world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka and world number 5 Elena Rybakina. It is appropriate to say that world number one Sabalenka, with an impeccable 2-0 record in the group and an impressive run of seven consecutive match wins, is in very good form. As for Rybakina, she has not been able to find her rhythm in this tournament as she suffered defeats in the two group matches. But with Rybakina at 7-4 in favor of Sabalenka, she will be keen to disrupt this momentum and stay alive in the tournament.
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Match example
With both players known for their blistering serves and aggressive baseline games, this promises to be a battle of sheer strength. Recent performances from Sabalenka suggest consistent dominance towards completing the matches in straight sets. Rybakina, at least on paper, has the tools to take down Sabalenka if she manages to boost her accuracy and exploit a powerful first serve. Traditionally, their matches were a high-voltage match with close scores. Just think of the last time they faced each other in the 2024 WTA Madrid semi-finals, where Sabalenka pulled off a pulsating three-setter.
Tactical approach
Basic aggression has been the hallmark of Sabalenka’s success. Deep groundstrokes will play a key role in her strategy enforcement rallies and forcing mistakes from Rybakina. She returns a high percentage of first serves and manages to protect most of her service games, often tactically speaking. Sabalenka will especially try to utilize Rybakina’s movement on those wide shots that can pull her off balance.
Rybakina’s route to victory would obviously involve consolidating her service games and ramping up the pressure on Sabalenka’s second serve. She has the ability to hit sparkling winners from defensive positions and can use her field coverage to extend rallies. Rybakina can also try to take away Sabalenka’s rhythm by mixing it up so that well-cut shots and timely drop shots can get Sabalenka out of position.
Expert betting tips
Given the form involved, Sabalenka will go into this match as the favorite. Her aggressive playing style combined with the fact that she recently defeated both Zheng and Paolini in straight sets really proves to some extent that she has the ability to end sets decisively. It is in those areas – consistency in serving and keeping her game together in high-pressure moments – where Sabalenka can make a difference. However, Rybakina is an opponent known for turning matches around, and given the situation, a tough task might just get the best of her.
- Aryna Sabalenka wins and over 17.5 games with a probability of 1.73
- Over 20.5 games @ 1.77 odds
- Over 21.5 games @ 1.90 odds