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Preview: Wimbledon final: Ons Jabeur vs. Elena Rybakina - prediction, head to head, road to final

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Wimbledon women's final between Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina, including predictions, head-to-head records and their route to the final.

Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina will take to Centre Court on Saturday to battle it out for the Wimbledon title.

Rybakina made history by becoming the first Kazakh player to reach a Grand Slam singles final, while Jabeur's trip to the final has resulted in her becoming the first Arab singles player to achieve the feat.


Match preview

Ons Jabeur reacts at Wimbledon on July 7, 2022© Reuters

As the higher-ranked player of the two, Jabeur will enter the final as the favourite to clinch the Wimbledon crown on Saturday.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed a successful grasscourt season, winning a title in Berlin on her way to racking up an 11-0 record on the grass this summer.

After taking confidence from her victory in Germany's capital, Jabeur breezed through the opening four rounds of Wimbledon, setting up a quarter-final tie against Marie Bouzkova.

The Tunisian fought back from a set down against Bouzkova to seal her place in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time in her career.

Jabeur's close friend Tatiana Maria awaited in the last four, and the semi-final tie was finely poised after both players had grabbed a set apiece.

However, the number three seed demonstrated her quality to sweep past Maria in the final set, securing her place in the Wimbledon final.

Although Saturday's final may represent the biggest match of her career, Jabeur will be looking to draw inspiration from tournament victories in Madrid and Berlin this year.

Unlike her opponent, Rybakina has not won any titles in 2022, but that will not stop the 23-year-old from dreaming of lifting the trophy aloft on Saturday.

Rybakina won just one of her three grass-court matches in preparation for Wimbledon, losing in the last 16 in Hertogenbosch before suffering a second-round exit in Eastbourne.

The Kazakhstan player had previously made only one main draw appearance at Wimbledon, which resulted in elimination at the fourth-round stage last year.

However, the 17th seed has swept past all challengers on her way to her first Grand Slam final, dropping just one set in six rounds of tennis.

After ousting Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets to progress to the semi-finals, Rybakina faced formidable opposition in the form of former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, who had not dropped a set on her way to the final four.

That was not a record that intimidated Rybakina, who lost serve on just one occasion as she cruised to a straight-sets victory, booking her place in the final alongside Jabeur.

Rybakina will head onto Centre Court on Saturday with the opportunity to win a singles title for the first time since a tournament win in Hobart over two years ago.


Route to final

ONS JABEUR

Ons Jabeur pictured at Wimbledon on July 5, 2021© Reuters

First round: vs. Mirjam Bjorklund - 6-1 6-3
Second round: vs. Katarzyna Kawa - 6-4 6-0
Third round: vs. Diane Parry - 6-2 6-3
Fourth round: vs. Elise Mertens - 7-6[9] 6-4
Quarter-finals: vs. Marie Bouzkova - 3-6 6-1 6-1
Semi-finals: vs. Tatjana Maria - 6-2 3-6 6-1

ELENA RYBAKINA

Elena Rybakina reacts at Wimbledon on July 7, 2022© Reuters

First round: vs. Coco Vandeweghe - 7-6[2] 7-5
Second round: vs. Bianca Andreescu - 6-4 7-6 [5]
Third round: vs. Zheng Qinwen - 7-6 [4] 7-5
Fourth round: vs. Petra Martic - 7-5 6-3
Quarter-finals: vs. Ajla Tomljanovic - 4-6 6-2 6-3
Semi-finals: vs. Simona Halep - 6-3 6-3


Head To Head

Chicago (2021) - Semi-final: Jabeur def. Rybakina - 6-4 3-2
Dubai 2021) - Second Round: Jabeur def. Rybakina - 7-6[6] 4-6 6-2
Wuhan (2021) - Second Round: Rybakina def. Jabeur - 6-1 6[3]-7 6-2

The two players have one win apiece in completed head-to-head matches, while the most recent meeting between the two saw Jabeur advance to the final in Chicago after Rybakina retired in the second set.

With all three previous matches taking place on the hard surface, Saturday's final will be the first time that the two will meet on a grass court.


SM words green background

We say: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets

Last year's Wimbledon final went to a third set, and we think that will be the case on Saturday when two players who have dominated the field come face-to-face on Centre Court.

With only three dropped sets between them in the whole tournament, we believe that the final will be a close-fought contest, but with Jabeur clinching the title to end the grass-court season undefeated.

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Ons Jabeur reacts at Wimbledon on July 7, 2022
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