Elena Rybakina wins superb R1 clash with Andreescu in Dubai

Elena Rybakina faced a really tricky challenge in the first round of the Dubai Championships facing Andreescu but she handled it really well 6-3 6-4.

It was a straight-set win for Rybakina who has played well in the Gulf in the past. She utilized her powerful serve to set up points well in order to win points easier. For the most part, it worked out really well as she won the majority of her first service points. Andreescu served even more consistently and faced only two break points which was less than Rybakina who faced four.

The difference was that Rybakina took one of the two she had to break Andreescu and held her serve to win the set 6-3. The second set was a close battle between the players as neither was able to create many advantages early on in the rallies. Andreescu drew first blood by taking a 3-1 lead but gave the break right back.

She would go on to break once more for the 4-2 lead but lost it again with Rybakina finding a good rhythm until the end of the match. She ended it 6-4 going on a 4-0 run to close out the match.