Australian Open women's final predictions & tennis betting tips: Sabalenka primed to pick up first Grand Slam title

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport, 8.30am Saturday

Best bet

Aryna Sabalenka to beat Elena Rybakina
2pts 8-11 bet365, Betfair, Hills

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Australian Open women's final preview

Never before has Aryna Sabalenka reached the final of a Grand Slam singles but the Belarusian looks well placed to claim her first major title at the expense of Elena Rybakina in Saturday's Australian Open showdown.

Kazakhstani ace Rybakina has also never won the Australian Open but defied the odds to triumph at Wimbledon last year and has since flown under the radar.

Ranking points were not awarded at Wimbledon in 2022, meaning she was outside the top 20 going into the US Open and her first-round match in Melbourne this month was on a small outside court.

The lack of expectation around Rybakina seems to have worked in her favour, though, as the 23-year-old has swatted aside top seed Iga Swiatek, experienced campaigner Jelena Ostapenko and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka on her way to the final.

And, while she is a worthy finalist in Melbourne, it is hard to oppose fifth seed Sabalenka on current form.

Earlier this month Sabalenka spoke about becoming "a little bit boring" in pursuit of her goals and it is fair to say, having previously struggled for consistency, the Belarusian has hit her stride in 2023.

In the semi-finals against Magda Linette, Sabalenka took time to warm up but prevailed 7-6 6-2, picking up her tenth win in a row and winning her 20th consecutive set in the process.

Linette was always going to be a tough nut to crack, having dumped out Caroline Garcia and Karolina Pliskova, but Sabalenka made the win look pretty effortless.

She came into this year's Australian Open fresh from landing her 11th career title at the Adelaide International and has been a force to be reckoned with down under.

Sabalenka leads 3-0 in her head-to-head record with Rybakina, twice beating the Kazakhstani talent on hard courts, and her desperation to land her first Grand Slam should carry her over the line in this year's women's singles final.

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