Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina
Elena Rybakina faces Elina Svitolina in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and here are the live stream details, preview, prediction and more
It’s time for Elina Svitolina to put a disappointing one year behind. The 26-year old Ukrainian will have to beat World No.15 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan to get her hands on the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Svitolina was drubbed by Markéta Vondroušová in the semi-finals, 6-3, 6-1, as the world no. 6 appeared clueless against the Czech.
Rybakina, on the other hand, lost a marathon three-setter against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.
Since the French Open 2020 quarter-finals, Svitolina has not found any success in the following Grand Slams. She is coming off a disappointing French Open and Wimbledon 2021 where she exited in the 3rd and 2nd rounds respectively.
Rybakina began finding her form in Grand Slams only this year. Her performances at the recently concluded Wimbledon and French Open have been her best at the 2 marquee Grand Slams.
Rybakina and Svitolina have faced each other only two times. The first time they met was at the Strasbourg Open Final in 2020, which Svitolina won.
Earlier this year at Eastbourne International, Rybakina levelled the scores by beating Svitolina 6-4, 7-6 in the Round of 16.
Svitolina will be looking forward to living up to her billing as the number 6 ranked women’s tennis player when she takes on the Kazakh. The match is expected to begin at 3pm local time.
The women’s bronze medal match will take place after the men’s bronze medal match between Novak Djokovic and Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is being telecasted in more than 130 countries with NBC, Peacock Network, BBC and Sony Sports Network emerging as the big players.
USA – NBC & Peacock TV
UK – BBC TV
India – Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV App
The weather during 31st July afternoon is expected to be clear with a precipitation percentage somewhere around 10 percentage, meaning there is very little chance of rain.
However, humidity might play a role during the course of the match.
Elena Rybakina breezed through to the semi-finals beating each and every opponent of hers in straight sets.
Her first-round match was against Samantha Stosur of Australia, whom she beat 6-4, 6-2. It was Rebecca Peterson of Sweden in the next round, who went down 6-2, 6-3 to the Kazakh.
Rybakina then beat Donna Vekic of Croatia in straight sets, this time – 7-6, 6-4. She eased past the dangerous Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the quarter-finals – 7-5, 6-1.
As for Svitolina, she’s had a rough path to the bronze medal match. She beat Laura Siegemund in a long three-setter – 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to progress to the second round, where she faced Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia. Another three-setter, this time the scores read 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Svitolina, then beat Maria Sakkari of Greece in another three-setter before finishing off Camila Giorgi of Italy in straight sets – 6-4, 6-4.
The 26-year old Ukrainian will have her task cut out against the Kazakh. Given her path to the final, and the accompanying accumulated fatigue, she might have to dig deep to beat Rybakina. Therefore, Rybakina enters the contest as the favourite.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in three sets
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