Aryna Sabalenka is eyeing a hat-trick of women's US Open titles when she takes on Elena Rybakina in the Flushing Meadows final, but the Belarusian could have her work cut out on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sabalenka has won back-to-back New York titles, but Rybakina defeated her in the Australian Open final at the start of the year and her consistency will be rewarded on Monday when she is crowned the WTA Tour's no.1 for the first time.
Sabalenka is the 8/11 favourite, while Rybakina is the 6/5 outsider and Racing Post Sport's Joe Champion believes it could be worth siding with the underdog.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Tips Summary
Best Bet - Elena Rybakina to win @ 6/5
Alternative Bet - Elena Rybakina under 3.5 double faults @ 8/11
Bet Builder - Elena Rybakina to win, Total sets -3 & Elena Rybakina most aces @ 19/4
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Prediction
Best Bet: Elena Rybakina to win @ 6/5
Rybakina will officially be the best women's player in tennis come Monday and there would be no better way for her to celebrate than by winning a third Grand Slam title and a first US Open crown.
Sabalenka, who booked her place in a record eighth consecutive hard-court final with a semi-final win over Jessica Pegula, is a formidable opponent, but Rybakina has mastered the Belarusian before, most notably in this year's Australian Open final.
The head-to-head record stands at 10-7 in Sabalenka's favour, although three of her wins came on other surfaces and the pair are level at seven wins apiece on hard courts - a remarkable achievement given Sabalenka's career record on the surface.
Rybakina was a runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Toronto last month before her US Open hopes were thrown into question by an ankle problem sustained in Cincinnati, where she retired in a quarter-final against Swiatek.
However, the 27-year-old has looked in top form at Flushing Meadows, knocking out huge names in two-time winner Naomi Osaka, Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng and best home hope Coco Gauff in her last three matches.
Others tend to succumb to Sabalenka's power, but Rybakina is capable of going toe-to-toe with the top seed, as she demonstrated in Melbourne at the start of the season.
Sabalenka at her best has the ability to demolish any opponent, but she has lost three of the last four Grand Slam finals she has contested and Rybakina knows she has what it takes to beat her.
Alternative Bet: Elena Rybakina under 3.5 double faults @ 8/11
Rybakina is known for her aces, but she also has a knack for producing minimal double faults even in situations when the pressure is at its highest.
She had just two double faults in a three-set semi-final against Gauff last time out and has served no more than three in any of her last seven matches against Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Bet Builder Tip
Elena Rybakina to win
Total sets - 3
Elena Rybakina most aces
Pays 19/4
There is precious little between the two finalists in the betting and, with Rybakina taken to win a tight match, it could pay to back her to prevail in three sets, just as she did in Melbourne in January.
Both players have enormous serves, but Rybakina is the WTA Tour's ace queen and she has served more aces than Sabalenka in nine of their last 10 meetings.
She continues to serve well - only Linda Noskova has managed more than her 42 in the women's US Open this year - and she should edge out Sabalenka again.
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Key Match Stats
Aryna Sabalenka leads Elena Rybakina 10-7 in head-to-head meetings
The pair are tied at 7-7 in hard-court head-to-head matches
Two of their three meetings this year went to a deciding set
Sabalenka is playing in an eighth consecutive hard-court Grand Slam final
Rybakina has served 42 aces in this year's US Open
Rybakina has hit more aces than Sabalenka in nine of their last 10 matches
Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
