Damien Kayat previews the 2023 Women’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open – Selected Round of 16 matches as Elena Rybakina faces Karolina Pliskova and Liudmila Samsonova takes on Barbora Krejcikova
2023 WTA Tour
WTA 500
Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 16 Matches
9 February
Elena Rybakina (42/100) | Karolina Pliskova (8/5)
It has been a fascinating eight months or so for Russian-born Kazakh Elena Rybakina. The big-serving Rybakina went into last year’s Wimbledon Championships with little to no fanfare.
And she went on to win her maiden Grand Slam in dominant fashion. Her form understandably dipped in the immediate aftermath of such a seismic breakthrough. But she showed that wasn’t any fluke with a similarly groundbreaking run at this year’s Aussie Open.
She beat a smorgasbord of hardcourt giants en route to her 2nd Grand Slam final. This included an emphatic straight-sets victory against World No 1 Iga Swiatek. She used her serve to devastating effect, demoralizing opponents with her power and accuracy.
Aryna Sabalenka was the only woman in the draw who could withstand her power. She casually said that she is willing to go through Doha qualifying in a few weeks’ time (she was outside the top 20 when she entered the event).
There is no ego here. She is a tenacious competitor who is finally starting to see the sponsorship deals materialize. You can’t disrespect a player who has reached two of the last three Grand Slam finals.
She may have not reached the final, but former World No.1 will be pretty exhilarated with going all the way to the quarters in Melbourne. The two-time Grand Slam finalist was coming off an injury-ravaged 2022 that saw her plummet down the world rankings.
And she started the year dismally, losing her first two tour-level matches of the season in straight-sets. But she rebounded in excellent fashion in Melbourne. Key to her success- now and forever- is the serve.
And she served absolutely brilliantly in her round of 32 victory against Ysaline Bonaventure. She won 83% of her first-serve points. She amazingly improved on her 2nd delivery, winning a staggering 86% of her second serve points.
That second-serve win percentage is often a key metric in determining Pliskova’s success. Her biggest challenge here will be trying to make inroads on the Rybakina delivery. Pliskova can be somewhat flatfooted and will need to read the Kazakh well.
Verdict: Rybakina to win in straight sets 20/21
Rybakina has an unblemished 2-0 record against the Czech. She won their last match in straight sets at last year’s Guadalajara Open. The simple fact is this: Rybakina is like a younger, more dynamic Pliskova. That’s no disrespect to the former World No.1. But Rybakina moves better than Pliskova and her serve is more dominant.
Liudmila Samsonova (4/5) | Barbora Krejcikova (9/10)
Liudmila Samsonova was one of the breakout stars of the 2022 campaign. The hard-hitting Russian won three hardcourt titles in quick succession towards the end of the year (including a WTA 500 title in Japan).
Her brand of aggressive serving and brutal groundstrokes made her an obvious dark horse candidate going into this year’s Aussie Open. But the Russian has flattered to deceive this year.
Coming into this event, she had won just two matches in three tournaments (including a disappointing second-round exit at the Aussie Open). She also needed to rally from a set down here against Liu. So, it doesn’t seem as if all is well with the Russian’s power-based game.
Sure, Barbora Krejcikova had a slightly underwhelming 2022 in singles. The 2021 French Open champion reached the quarters in Australia but battled through large portions of the season. Injury and loss of form contributed to this.
But you also have to take into consideration her herculean efforts alongside doubles partner Katerina Siniakova. She completed the career Golden Slam. I think you can allow the former World No.2 a dip in singles form.
And she still managed to win back-to-back hardcourt titles towards the end of the year (the Tallinn Open and Ostrava Open). She actually beat Iga Swiatek in the Ostrava final. And she currently comes into this match 5-2 for the year.
She has only lost to classy opponents. Daria Kasatkina beat her in the round of 16 in Adelaide. And Jessica Pegula beat her in the 4th round of the Aussie Open. She is a formidable opponent who may start to focus a little more intently on singles action. She absolutely dominated Ruse and will be hoping to upset the 8th seed here.
Verdict: Krejcikova to win in three sets 3/1
This will be the first career meeting between these two. It’s a pretty classical clash of styles. The big-serving Samsonova will look to abbreviate points with serve and forehand. The more mobile Krejcikvoa will want to extend the rallies and bring her physical prowess into proceedings.
I really think Krejcikova is being underestimated at present. Samsonova is in poor form, and I think Krejcikova will wear her down.
