Danielle Collins v Elena Rybakina: Prediction, Tips and Odds

For the second year in succession, Elena Rybakina has reached the women’s Miami Open final and she will be hoping her clash with home hope Danielle Collins goes better than last season's defeat to Petra Kvitova.

While many of the leading lights in the women’s game have wilted at the Hard Rock Stadium, fourth seed Rybakina has shown her quality and raised her game under the maximum of pressure.

The Kazakh was one of only three players seeded in the top ten to reach the quarter-final stage and she will start a strong favourite in this title decider with the unseeded Collins.

That said, the American did finish runner-up at the Australian Open in 2022 and is far more capable than her current world ranking of 53 would suggest.

Danielle Collins v Elena Rybakina betting tips and predictions

Elena Rybakina to win 2-1 - 11/4

Rybakina is a big-game player who rarely disappoints in the showpiece events and, having finished runner-up to Kvitova in last season’s Miami Open final, she will be determined to go one better against Collins.

Along with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, there is a feeling that Rybakina is in a breakaway at the top of the women’s game and between those four players they tend to have all bases covered.

If three of them disappoint, then the other tends to deliver and that has been the case in Miami, with Rybakina thriving while the other trio have faltered.

Rybakina’s victory at Wimbledon in 2022 has seen her go from strength to strength and since that breakthrough success she has finished runner-up at the 2023 Australian Open and claimed WTA 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Rome.

This would be a third Masters 1000 crown for the 24-year-old and she looks to hold the aces against Collins, a player she has defeated in all three of their meetings over the last year.

The latest of those came in Abu Dhabi in February when Rybakina clawed herself back from a set down to triumph 4-6 6-3 6-3.

To the American’s credit, however, she has claimed a set in all three of those recent defeats, which suggests she may be able to do so again.

Collins has been quiet since playing second fiddle to the now-retired Ashleigh Barty in the Australian Open final two years ago, but that highlights her capabilities.

Rybakina has had to dig deep on more than one occasion in Miami this week and four of her five victories have come in a final-set decider.

Clara Tauson, Taylor Townsend, Maria Sakkari and Victoria Azarenka have all pushed the Kazakh world number four the distance and Collins, having done the same in their last three battles, could repeat the trick.

Both players have won a set in six of Rybakina’s last seven matches and, while that looks the likely scenario once more, her huge serve and great composure can ensure she is the player that she eventually comes out on top.

Over 9.5 games in the first set - 5/6 

These are two players who excel on serve, meaning early breaks could be hard to come by.

That makes over 9.5 games in the opening set an interesting play and in their four previous meetings the first set has featured game totals of 13, 12, 8 and 10.

Rybakina’s last two matches against Sakkari and Azarenka have featured 12 games and 10 games respectively and it tends to take time for the world number four to grow into a contest.

Collins has been coming out of the blocks quickly and in three of her four meetings with Rybakina she has taken the opening set.

But Rybakina’s biggest strength is her power, and her big serve means however well the American starts, converting those chances into a break won’t be easy.

Elena Rybakina to win from behind - 6/1

Collins will be buoyed by the fact that Rybakina has dropped a set in seven of her last eight matches, while the American has claimed the opening set in three of their past four meetings, including in Abu Dhabi last month.

However, Rybakina found a way to come from behind to win on that occasion, just as she did when they met in Adelaide in January last year, so backing her to triumph despite losing the first set could represent value.

Collins knows a fast start is imperative if she is to have any winning prospects, while Rybakina isn’t the sort of player to hit the panic button when she falls behind.

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Danielle Collins v Elena Rybakina odds

Danielle Collins - 13/8
Elena Rybakina - 1/2

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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.