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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk
Date: August 28, 2023
Tournament: US Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $65,000,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | Canada - TSN | UK - Sky Sports | India - Sony Sports
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk preview
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina begins her quest for her second Grand Slam title with a tricky first-round showdown against World No. 37 Marta Kostyuk at the US Open on Monday.
Since her breakthrough on the hallowed lawns of SW19 last year, Rybakina has firmly established herself as one of the top three women players on the tour. The Kazakh comes into the US Open with a 39-11 win-loss record for the season, highlighted by title triumphs at Indian Wells and Rome.
Rybakina also finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open and Miami, showing her prowess on hardcourt. On grass, she went as far as the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before being knocked out by eventual runner-up Ons Jabeur.
The 24-year-old made a decent start to her US Open aspirations with a semifinal appearance in Montreal. However, a brutal schedule eventuallu led to her retiring mid-match in the Round of 16 at Cincinnati.
The World No. 4 will hope to have got enough rest before launching her bid for the Flushing Meadows crown.
Marta Kostyuk, meanwhile, comes into the Big Apple with a 21-16 win-loss record for the year. Long touted as a talent to watch out for, the 21-year-old Ukrainian finally fulfilled that promise with her maiden title at the ATX Open in March.
The youngster, though, couldn't capitalize on that success thereafter. Post her Texas glory, Kostyuk fell in the first round four times. She stopped the downward spiral at the Citi Open in the lead-up to the US Open. With strong wins over Bianca Andreescu and Caroline Garcia, Kostyuk reached the quarterfinals before bowing out to Liudmila Samsonova.
Inconsistency reared its ugly head once again for the rising star, as she succumbed in the first round at both Montreal and Cincinnati.
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk head-to-head
Kostyuk has a slender 1-0 lead over Rybakina in her head-to-head. She won their only match 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 at the Adelaide International 1 earlier this year.
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk odds
(Odds will be updated once they are available)
Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk prediction
While Rybakina has been a beacon of consistency this season, Kostyuk has been the exact opposite. The Ukrainian simply failed to build on her Texas heroics, slumping to early exits at numerous tournaments.
Kostyuk does possess a power-packed aggressive game. However, harnessing her power under pressure continues to remain an issue for the youngster. The Ukrainian also has a long way to go as far as her mental game is concerned.
Kostyuk's serve, too, keeps fluctuating at times, contributing to a large number of double faults. If she wants to have another win over Rybakina, that's the first thing she needs to fix, as the Kazakh is one of the best servers on the tour.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion likes to take the ball early and hits flat off both wings. Having proved herself in some of the biggest hardcourt tournaments this year, the fourth seed will be eager to make the second week of the US Open for the first time.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in straight sets
