Women’s Olympic Tennis First Round – Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina taking place? Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina will take place on Saturday 24th July, 2021 at (not before) 04:30 (UK)
Where is Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina taking place? Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina will take place at Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo
What surface is Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina played on? Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina will be played on hard courts
Where can I get tickets for Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina? There are no tickets for Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina as Olympic Tennis will take place without spectators.
What TV channel is Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina on in the UK? Olympic coverage is shared between BBC and Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedules for Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina
Where can I stream Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina in the UK? If Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina is televised on BBC then it can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. If Sam Stosur vs Elena Rybakina is televised on Eurosport then subscribers can stream the match live on Eurosport Player
THE PREDICTION
Former world number four Sam Stosur spends most of her time on the doubles side of the draw these days but the Aussie veteran will, incredibly, enter her fifth Olympic Games this week in Tokyo. The 37-year-old has nine WTA titles to her name, including winning the US Open almost a decade ago, and a remarkable 29 titles in Doubles (26 Women’s, 3 Mixed). Stosur brings with her a clear wealth of experience but this will be a horribly tough first round draw against world number 20 Elena Rybakina, who continues to improve as a 22-year-old with plenty of promise.
6’0” Rybakina has plenty of weapons at her disposal and should be able to overpower Stosur throughout this encounter. The Kazakh is at her best on the hard courts but she famously beat Serena Williams last month at Roland-Garros and it has taken players inside the top 31 in the world to beat her over the last few months. This match does have a tiny essence of upset about it with Stosur a wily competitor but Rybakina should realistically be winning this in straight sets.
