Rybakina vs Krejcikova Odds
| Rybakina Odds | -490 |
| Krejcikova Odds | +365 |
| Over/Under | 20.5 (-122 / -110) |
| Time | How to Watch | Thursday, 10 a.m. ET | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. For tips on how to watch tennis, click here. | |
Elena Rybakina has continued her high level of play at the All England Club, defeating Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the Wimbledon semifinals.
Rybakina will now face Barbora Krejcikova, who out-maneuvered Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-6(4) in her quarterfinal matchup.
Read on for my full Elena Rybakina vs Barbora Krejcikova pick ahead of this Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Rybakina Shines in London
In her win over Svitolina, Rybakina won 69% of her service points, including 85% of her first serves, only getting broken once all match (in the first game). The Kazakh also won 49% of her return points, breaking on four occasions.
In the 25-year old's last three matches, she has hit more than ten winners more compared to her unforced errors. In those three matches, which includes victories over Caroline Wozniacki and Anna Kalinskaya, Rybakina won over 80% of her service points as well.
It's no surprise that the Kazakh is dominating on her serve. In 2024, Rybakina has the most aces, by far, on the WTA Tour and is in the top-10 for the percentage of first-serve points won, service points won and service games won.
And Rybakina follows up her serve with huge groundstrokes from both wings, but she's especially potent with her forehand. The 25-year old positions herself so well on court, taking the initiative in rallies and playing aggressive, first-strike tennis.
Any short ball is going to be punished.
This type of tennis has allowed Rybakina to win Wimbledon in 2022 and has led her to an impressive 33-10 career-mark on the surface. And, this season, the Kazakh is 6-1 on grass.
However, Rybakina's not a great mover and given her six-foot height, she struggles to get down to shots below her strike zone.
Often when the ball is outside of her strike or when Rybakina is forced to move, the Kazakh also can struggle with her rally tolerance, although that has not been the case over the past few matches.
Krejcikova Excels Once More
While Ostapenko was erratic on Wednesday, Krejcikova still played high-quality tennis. The Czech won 72% of her service points, which includes 81% of her first serves, and was broken just twice. Krejcikova also won 42% of her return points, breaking on three occasions.
Similar to Rybakina, the 28-year old has won at least 80% of her first-serve points in her last three matches. And, Krejcikova has now won her ninth consecutive set of the tournament.
Krejcikova's game suits grass well. She has a well-placed first serve that she uses to gain the advantage in her service games. And the Czech doesn't have overwhelming firepower, but she balances aggression and placement well and can hit into openings when she creates them.
Perhaps the most compelling part of Krejcikova's game is her variety. Krejcikova spreads the court so well, getting incredible angles that force her opponents off of the court, especially from her backhand wing. Krejcikova also employs cutting slices that stay out of her opponents' strike zones.
Not only this, but Krejcikova also is extremely solid moving forward. There's a reason she's won seven Major doubles titles, including two at Wimbledon.
In addition, the Czech is able to employ this variety so effectively due to her strong point construction and rally tolerance.
With that said, Krejcikova didn't hit her forehand return well against Ostapenko and she's not an elite mover. Therefore, her defending and counterpunching can sometimes be suspect.
Rybakina vs Krejcikova Pick
Interestingly enough, Krejcikova has won both of their head-to-head battles, although both were on hard courts and neither in straight sets.
Krejcikova is a tricky matchup for Rybakina in the sense that the Czech does a lot to take Rybakina out of her comfort zone.
Krejcikova can use her slices to keep the ball low and out of the Kazakh's strike zone, forcing her to get low and taking her out of rhythm. In addition, Krejickova's angles and her ability to spread the court force Rybakina on the move. These help to lower Rybakina's rally tolerance.
Krejcikova hits her spots on serve, as well, combining pace and precision, making it more difficult for Rybakina to get into the Czech's service games. And, during her service games, Krejcikova maintains her offensive court positioning so well.
Rybakina has won the Wimbledon singles title before, has a cannon of a first serve and is playing strong baseline tennis, as well.
With that said, Krejcikova's game and current level should be enough to keep this match close.
