Australian Open 2023: Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (22) Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan.

Date: 18 January 2023.

Tournament: Australian Open 2023.

Round: Second round (Round of 64).

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia.

Surface: Hard.

Prize Money: A$76,500,000.

Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan preview

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will take on World No. 104 Kaja Juvan in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday.

Rybakina commenced her campaign in Melbourne against Elisabetta Cocciaretto. She led 3-0 in the first set but her opponent won the next couple of games to make it 3-2. The Kazakh secured another break of serve to go 4-2 up and held serve after that to extend her lead to 5-2.

Cocciaretto then bagged the next three games and even saved five set points to level the proceedings. The Italian served to take the set into a tie-break but Rybakina managed to break her serve to capture the opener.

Cocciaretto started off strong in the second set, nabbing an early break of serve to lead 2-1. However, Rybakina claimed five of the next six games to win the match 7-5, 6-3.

Juvan was drawn against qualifier Selena Janicijevic in the first round. The former led 2-0 in the opening set, but her opponent soon leveled the score. The duo remained solid on serve after that, but the Slovenian raised her level towards the end, winning three games in a row to clinch the set.

Janicijevic held serve to start the second set, but was outplayed after that. Juvan reeled off six consecutive games to win the contest 7-5, 6-1. Having lost in the first round here last year, she's off to a great start this time.

Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.

Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan odds

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Elena Rybakina vs Kaja Juvan prediction

Rybakina did well enough to navigate past a tricky opponent like Cocciaretto, but there's still room for improvement. She landed just 40% of her first serves in play, which won't be enough if she wants to make a deep run here. She also missed a few break point chances, going 5/12. Letting players off the hook will prove to be costly for her down the line.

Juvan's performance in the previous round was quite good too. She dropped serve just once and stamped her authority in the second half of the match. However, she'll certainly have a more challenging time against Rybakina.

Juvan's court coverage and her ability to mix up her shots well could help against a big-hitter like Rybakina. The Kazakh's biggest strength lies in her serve, so if that's firing on all cylinders, it could prove to be difficult to stop her. This encounter could be a real test for the current Wimbledon winner, but she's likely to pass it with flying colors.

Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets.

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