Leylah Fernandez is all set to face Elena Rybakina in the R32 of the Cincinnati Masters. This will be Rybakina’s first tournament after the Wimbledon. Is she fully fit now? Well, that’s the question of the hour at the moment. If she is fit, then surely she’s going to be a real contender in this tournament. Fernandez, on the other hand, is a mighty challenger. On her day, she has the capability to even upset some of the biggest stars in the racquet sport. Who will win this thrilling encounter? Let’s talk odds!

Leylah Fernandez vs Elena Rybakina: Preview

The 21-year-old Canadian tennis star has played some decent tennis so far in this season, but she needs to come up with her A-game to challenge someone like Rybakina. Fernadez’s best record this season has been reaching one final and two QFs in her previous tournaments. She started her campaign on a winning note in Cincinnati, but it took her three sets to beat China’s Yue Yuan in the first round (R64).

Rybakina, on the other hand, has struggled a bit with injuries in the last few months but still, she has played some outstanding tennis this year. She has already won three titles this season and apart from that, the Kazakhstani tennis star has reached two finals, two SFs, and four QFs this season. Rybakina will be eyeing for yet another deep run in Cincinnati. She last played in the SF of Wimbledon. In that match, she was defeated by the eventual champion, Barbora Krejcikova by 6-3,3-6,4-6.

Fernandez vs Rybakina: Head-to-Head

It’s lefty versus the righty! Right-handed Rybakina’s consistency is the key to her success, while we must not forget Fernandez reached the finals of the US Open in 2021. So, this is really going to be a close contest! However, both of them played against each other only once, and Rybakina sealed a comfortable victory at that time.

• 2024 Qatar Open QF: Rybakina 6-4,6-2.

Prediction: Rybakina to win in three sets

Despite her injuries, if we look at Rybakina’s form this season it has really been very impressive. The world number 4 has a win-loss record of 40-9 this season. This also reflects her consistency. However, Fernandez has a win-loss record of just 22-17. Although she has performed really well in some of the tournaments, she has failed to maintain that consistency in her games.

Fernandez’s game comprises power, agility, and incredible strategic moves. She can create some extraordinary angles to keep her opponents always on their toes. However, her biggest strength has always been her never-give-up attitude, Fernandez’s incredible fighting spirit separates her from others. If we take a look at her major weakness, then it’s surely going to be her serves. She has struggled a bit with her serves in the last few years. This year she has hit only 68 aces but has committed 134 double faults!

On the other hand, serves are Rybakina’s biggest strength, she’s known for her powerful serves. She has hit 305 aces so far this season. Rybakina is basically an aggressive baseliner who aims to finish the points quickly. However, at times, her high-risk game tends to accumulate a lot of winners as well as unforced errors. It’s truly amazing how effortlessly she can manage to generate power both on her groundstrokes and serves.

Rybakina’s forehands and her incredible volleys are surely the other two things that Fernandez needs to keep an eye on. Fernandez is currently ranked 26th in the world, so even in the ranking, there is a big gap in between the two. Considering all these factors, Rybakina looks most likely to win this match, but we hope Fernandez will give a tough fight!