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Match details
Fixture: (13) Victoria Azarenka vs (17) Elena Rybakina
Date: 14 March 2022.
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.
Round: Third round (Round of 32).
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,369,455.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Victoria Azarenka vs Elena Rybakina preview
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka and 17th seed Elena Rybakina will square off at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday, with a fourth-round spot up for grabs.
Having lost a nail-biting final to Paula Badosa at Indian Wells last year, the Belarusian will be keen to go one better this time around.
She began the new season in brilliant fashion, reaching the quarterfinals in Adelaide. The 32-year-old then followed it up with a run to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
However, injuries soon reared their ugly heads, robbing Azarenka of a chance to build on her early-season form. Her last tournament before Indian Wells was the Qatar Open, where she pulled out ahead of her second-round match against Madison Brengle.
Despite her shoulder being taped during her second-round match against Astra Sharma on Saturday, she managed to notch a 6-3, 7-5 win.
Azarenka's third-round opponent, Elena Rybakina, also had a strong start to the season disrupted by injuries and illness. The Kazakh made it all the way to the final in Adelaide in her first tournament of 2022. Since then, she has struggled to remain fit.
The World No. 20 pulled out of her next three tournaments midway, before going down to lower-ranked Jaqueline Cristian in the first round in Doha.
For now, the youngster appears to have overcome her physical issues as she recorded a strong 6-1, 7-5 win over Alison Van Uytvanck at Indian Wells on Saturday.
Victoria Azarenka vs Elena Rybakina head-to-head
Azarenka and Rybakina have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Victoria Azarenka vs Elena Rybakina prediction
With both players having spent a chunk of the season battling injuries, this will be a stern test of their fitness.
Azarenka's performance in the second round against Sharma left a lot to be desired. The two-time Grand Slam champion committed five double faults and dropped her serve thrice. She will be punished by a player of Rybakina's caliber, should the former World No. 1's serving woes resurface.
Rybakina, on the other hand, put up a cleaner act. She saved all seven of the break points she faced against Van Uytvanck. But her first-serve percentage needs drastic improvement if she is to tackle a superb returner like Azarenka.
Rybakina seems to be the fitter of the two at the moment and that could play a role in the outcome of this match. The conditions could suit the Kazakh, who likes to take the ball early and hit flat and deep. If she can keep her unforced errors in check, she stands a good chance of beating the former champion.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in three sets.
