Kiki Bertens (Netherlands, 28) WTA Rank: 8
Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan, 20) WTA Rank: 25
Betting Line: Bertens -180 (-2.5 -125), Rybakina +145 (+2.5 -105)
Kiki Bertens is putting together another strong winter swing in 2020, just as she did last year. Her best tennis in 2019 was after the hard court season, when she advanced to the semi final of six tournaments (three finals) of the eight events she participated in between May and July. She can be frustrating when not in form, but at the moment it appears she found her groove.
At 20 years old, Elena Rybakina is making her third final appearance this year. At six feet tall, the Kazhak is cut from the same cloth as Bertens. Success revolves around landing serves in play and initiating as many baseline rallies as possible, which is very much the method of operation in women’s tennis; she’s just better than most at executing this method.
Rybakina should come out and sustain the pace Bertens wants to create and give her a taste of her own medicine. Last October in the final at Wuhan, Aryna Sabalenka was able to overpower Bertens the same way Rybakina is capable of, and it worked again a week later in the final at Zhuhai. Rybakina’s power should force her opponent to take chances, and the result will likely come down to whether or not Bertens is able to hit her spots.
Pick: Rybakina in 3
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