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Match details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (4) Elena Rybakina
Date: April 20, 2024
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Clay (indoor)
Prize Money: $922,573
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina preview
Two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek will take on Elena Rybakina in the semifinals of the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Saturday.
Swiatek commenced her title defense with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Elise Mertens, which put her in the quarterfinals. She then faced former US Open champion Emma Raducanu for a spot in the last four.
Swiatek dropped serve in the first game but broke back immediately to get back on serve. Both players matched each other shot for the rest of the set and remained rock-solid on serve. The World No. 1 outplayed Raducanu in the ensuing tie-break to take the opener.
Swiatek raised the intensity once she nabbed the first set. She jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second set due to an early break of serve. She constantly put Raducanu under pressure during the rest of her service games as well. The Pole snagged another break in the final game of the match for a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win.
Rybakina defeated Veronika Kudermetova 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-4 to book a quarterfinal date against Jasmine Paolini. The Kazakh was down 2-0 in the first set but turned things around as she reeled off five straight games to lead 5-2 and claimed the set soon after that.
Rybakina was cruising towards a win as she led 3-1 in the second set but Paolini fought back to take the set and force a decider. Just like in the first set, the Kazakh fell behind 2-0 in the third set. She bagged six of the next seven games to score a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win.
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina head-to-head
Rybakina leads Swiatek 3-2 in the head-to-head. The Pole won their most recent encounter at this year's Qatar Open in straight sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina prediction
Swiatek played another great match to down Raducanu and extend her unbeaten run in Stuttgart. Rybakina was pushed to the distance in both of her matches here but remained calm under pressure to emerge victorious. She's 10-1 in three-set matches this year compared to 12-9 by the end of 2023.
Swiatek ended her three-match losing skid against Rybakina with a win over her in the final of the Qatar Open a couple of months ago. With her eyes set on a third straight final at the venue, the Pole will be eager to beat her rival yet again.
The key to winning against Swiatek is to put her on the backfoot right off the bat. The Pole's forehand and serve do unravel under pressure but to get her to that point isn't an easy task. Rybakina does have the game to put her in a spot of bother but the defending champion should prevail in the end.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.
