Elena Rybakina vs Tereza Valentova Preview & Prediction | 2026 Australian Open | Third Round
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Elena Rybakina faces Tereza Valentova in the third-round of the Australian Open.
Start date/time:
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Outdoor hard
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & Tennis Channel
Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Elena Rybakina vs Tereza Valentova ticket information
Elena Rybakina vs Tereza Valentova prediction
2023 finalist Elena Rybakina was not at her best but still defeated Varvara Gracheva in straight sets to make it through to the third-round in Melbourne. Rybakina was broken early on and went 3-1 down, though did fight back with two breaks of her own, only to be then broken again when serving for the set at 5-3. Nevertheless, she broke again as Gracheva was serving to stay in the first set. She encountered no such difficulties in the second and won 7-5 6-2 after an hour and 15 minutes.
She will now face Tereza Valentova. The teenager made it through to the third-round of a major for the first time after a three set win over compatriot Linda Fruhvirtova. She edged a tight first set but Fruhvirtova dominated the second to level the match. Valentova held her nerve to win 7-5 2-6 6-3 after two hours and 41 minutes.
Rybakina leads the head-to-head 1-0 after a straight sets win over Valentova at the US Open last year. That match was close, as Valentova was 5-2 up at one point in the second set and had set points to send the match into a decider. Rybakina will need to go up a level if she is to overcome the threat of the 18-year-old.
Elena Rybakina vs Tereza Valentova tip: Over 18.5 games
