Chicago Fall Tennis Classic 2021: Elina Svitolina vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (1) Elina Svitolina vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse

Date: 30 September 2021

Tournament: Chicago Fall Tennis Classic 2021

Round: Third round (Round of 16)

Venue: Chicago, USA

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $565,530

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Elina Svitolina vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse preview

Top seed Elina Svitolina will take on Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania in the third round of the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic on Thursday .

Elina Svitolina at the 2021 US Open.

Svitolina reached the third round by defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-4 6-3. The Ukrainian has had a fairly consistent season, with a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a title run at the WTA 250 in Chicago being the highlights.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the 2021 Nottingham Trophy.

While Elena-Gabriela Ruse hasn't produced any significant results at any of the big tournaments, she's been making steady progress throughout the year. She made her first appearance in the main draw of the US Open this year, won her first title at the WTA 250 event in Hamburg, and reached the final of another WTA 250 event.

She has looked in impressive touch in Chicago, winning both of her matches in straight sets. Ruse dismantled Camila Giorgi in the first round before battling past Kateryna Kozlova. The two results also marked her first ever main draw wins on hardcourt.

Elina Svitolina vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between Elina Svitolina and Elena-Gabriela Ruse, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Elina Svitolina vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse prediction

Svitolina needs a good result in Chicago in order to have a shot at qualifying fot the WTA Finals.

Given the enormous gulf in experience and ranking, Elina Svitolina is the overwhelming favorite to win this match.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse is the more aggressive of the two players and will look to impose her heavy groundstrokes on Svitolina from the get-go.

Svitolina, however, is exceptionally quick around the court. The Ukrainian has the ability to get even the most difficult of shots back into play due to her speed and anticipation. This could put pressure on Ruse, who is prone to making unforced errors.

Ultimately, Svitolina's defense should be enough to get her through this contest.

Prediction: Elina Svitolina to win in straight sets.