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Match details
Fixture: (10) Elena Rybakina vs (21) Paula Badosa
Date: March 25, 2023
Tournament: Miami Open 2023
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Miami Gardens, Florida, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa preview
For the second time in as many tournaments, Elena Rybakina and Paula Badosa will lock horns in the third round, with the two set to meet at the Miami Open on Saturday.
Rybakina, the 10th seed at this year's event, is in good form, having just lifted a maiden WTA 1000 trophy at Indian Wells. The reigning Wimbledon champion ousted the likes of Iga Swiatek, Sofia Kenin and Karolina Muchova before avenging her Australian Open loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash.
Looking to back up her stellar performance, the Kazakh got off to a rocky start — needing three sets to get past Anna Kalinskaya in her Miami opener.
Badosa also needed three sets to fend off Laura Siegemund in her last match. The Spaniard overcame some poor patches, nine double faults and some spirited hitting from her opponent to book her spot in the last-32.
Having already lost to Rybakina at the same stage in Indian Wells, Badosa will come into this encounter looking to do things differently. Barring a semifinal run at the Adelaide International 2 back in January, the Spaniard has not had any good results in 2023. But she definitely possesses the game to turn things around for herself.
Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa head-to-head
Badosa leads Rybakina in their current head-to-head with a 4-2 margin. Prior to their Indian Wells showdown, the Spaniard had won three consecutive matches against her opponent.
Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Elena Rybakina vs Paula Badosa prediction
Elena Rybakina has not lost a match since bowing out of the Abu Dhabi Open. She did withdraw from her encounter against Coco Gauff in Dubai, but has looked in great touch since coming back to action in Indian Wells.
The Kazakh peaked in her match towards the business end of the WTA 1000 event last week, beating the top-2 players in the world — Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka — in convincing fashion.
That said, Paula Badosa can take a leaf out of Kalinskaya and Karolina Muchova's book. The two players managed to push the Kazakh out of her comfort zone by bringing her into the net and mixing the spin of the groundstrokes.
Feeding pace isn't always the best option against Rybakina, who can punish her opponents once she settles into a rhythm. Badosa, however, is not particularly known for her variety. Unless she can find a way to mix things up, she risks walking into the Rybakina trap again.
Prediction: Rybakina to win in two tight sets.
