The Ukrainian veteran Lesia Tsurenko faces the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals of the Slovenia Open on Friday.
The 23-year-old came into this tournament on the back of a disastrous US Open campaign, where she lost in the first round in straight sets to France’s Clara Burel.
In the Slovenia Open, Rybakina lost the first set of her first match against Laura Siegmund. In the second set, the youngster made a strong comeback and pushed the match into the decisive third set. After a grueling battle in the third set, Rybakina eventually came up trumps, winning the match 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (10-8). In the second round, Rybakina put on a much better show as she defeated Tereza Martincova in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 to progress to the quarterfinals.
The World No. 93 also suffered a first-round exit at Flushing Meadows following a defeat to former World No. 2 Paula Badosa. Tsurenko won the first set but lost the next two to see her US Open campaign come to an abrupt conclusion.
Tsurenko won her first-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three sets 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. In the second round, the 33-year-old defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) to set up a date with Rybakina.
Lesia Tsurenko has a 1-0 lead as she defeated Rybakina in their only previous encounter at Eastbourne International in June 2022.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in three sets.
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