US Open: Simona Halep vs. Elena Rybakina 9/3/21 Tennis Prediction

Simona Halep (12) will meet Elena Rybakina (19) in the Third Round of the 2021 US Open. The match is scheduled for Friday September 3rd, 2021 at 11:00am EST.

Former world number one Simona Halep of Romania has seemed to be in good form so far here at the 2021 US Open and is seeking to go on a deep run here. She has not been her best lately after suffering with injuries so she will be desperate to do well here, and will face Elena Rybakina for a spot in the Round of 16. A fierce battle is expected here, who will get the win and advance here in New York?

Simona Halep is the 12th seed here at the 2021 US Open and is ranked #13 on the WTA Tour. She has finally started to find her own form after being out of sorts over the past few seasons, and has been playing her trademark aggressive baseline style. Straight sets wins over Kristina Kucova and Camila Giorgi will have given her a lot of confidence as she seeks to go deep in the draw here. The Romanian has been serving extremely well and has limited her unforced errors, making her very tough to beat. She is the favorite here against Elena Rybakina due to her extensive experience but will be in for a very tough test here.

Elena Rybakina is seeded 19th here at the 2021 US Open and is ranked #20 in the world. She has been simply fantastic to start the 2021 US Open, defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Caroline Garcia to reach the Third Round. Against Garcia she served an astonishing 11 aces and hit 22 winners, similar numbers to her win over Sasnovich. She is playing ultra-aggressive tennis and it has been working so far, but against a very consistent opponent like Halep that is a good counterpuncher, her error count may be high. She is the underdog here, but her opponent has not been at her best for quite some time so if there was ever a time for an upset, here is it.

The two ladies have played each other twice before, winning one match each. I am expecting a very close match that can go either way, as both players have similar games and seem to be in equally good form. However, only one can win and I think that will be Simona Halep. Rybakina tends to struggle with nerves in the tight moments, and Halep is one of the most experienced players on the WTA Tour with loads of big matches at these events under her built. I wouldn’t be surprised if this match went to three sets, but the Romanian will win here, advancing to the Round of 16 of the 2021 US Open.