Elena Rybakina vs Belinda Bencic Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Bencic can upset defending champion in Abu Dhabi

Bencic is backed to produce the upset and knock out the defending champion here. Rybakina has been surviving by the skin of her teeth so far this tournament and remains well below her best. Bencic on the other hand has put together a remarkable comeback from maternity leave and has won nine of her last 11 matches heading into this showdown. The Swiss also won their only previous completed match at the Tokyo Olympics, where she went on to win the Gold medal.

Locked at 1-1. As mentioned, Bencic won 7-6 4-6 6-3 at the Tokyo Olympics before retiring not long after in Chicago.

Rybakina won 40 of her first 48 matches to launch the 2024 season, but after Wimbledon, she's struggled with injury and controversy surrounding her coaching setup.

The Kazakh was solid down under, winning three matches at the United Cup and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she went down to eventual champion Madison Keys in three sets.

However, Rybakina didn't look her best at any stage and she's battled her way through both matches in Abu Dhabi in three sets this week, overcoming qualifier Katie Volynets 2-6 6-4 6-4 and Ons Jabeur 6-2 4-6 7-6, winning the final five points of the tiebreak.

Bencic has improved her ranking 800 spots over the last couple of months after returning to maternity leave and one more win in Abu Dhabi will see her swiftly return to the world's top 100.

The Swiss also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she took the opening set over Coco Gauff before succumbing in three.

Returning to Abu Dhabi for the first time since winning the 2023 title, Bencic has been in scintillating form, edging past Rebecca Sramkova in three sets in her opening round before crushing Veronika Kudermetova 6-0 6-0 and upstaging former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 7-5 to reach the semis.