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THE FACTS
What is this tournament classed as in terms of ranking points? WTA 500
When is Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova on and what time does it start? Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova will take place on Saturday 10th February, 2024 – not before TBC (UK)
Where is Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova taking place? Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova will take place at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE
What surface is Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova being played on? Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova
What channel is Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova on in the UK? Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova will be televised live on Sky Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Elena Rybakina vs Liudmila Samsonova live on Sky Go
THE PREDICTION
This is one of the more inexplicable rivalries on tour, with world number 15 Liudmila Samsonova aiming to make it 5-0 in her head-to-head with world number five Elena Rybakina. 25-year-old Samsonova first beat the Kazakh in three tight sets at the Canada Masters back in 2021 but since then Rybakina has become one of the best players in the world, winning her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon a year later and finishing runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne last season. Samsonova stunned Rybakina in two Masters semi-finals last year, coming back from a set down in Montreal before a more assured straight-sets scalp in Beijing, but she failed to win both titles after doing so -perhaps expelling too much energy on the Kazakh.
24-year-old Rybakina came back from a set down to beat Danielle Collins on Thursday but she looked a lot more assured in a rapid win over Cristina Bucsa to look ready for another try at her kryptonite, although Samsonova has won each of her three matches so far in straight sets including an excellent result over fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova. Sense, and form so far this season, suggests that Rybakina can finally get a win on the board here but Samsonova is a terribly tough foe to break down once she finds some rhythm and she will be confident here. Back the Russian to win at least a set to leave the victor of this likely thriller up to chance.
TIP: LIUDMILA SAMSONOVA TO WIN A SET