Blake Krass gives his pick, preview and prediction for the epic Italian Open quarter-final match between Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina.
The 2026 Italian Open is the final big clay tournament ahead of the French Open. There is a fantastic quarter-final match set between Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina. The match begins at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 13th.
Elena Rybakina vs. Elina Svitolina Preview
It has been a sensational season for Elena Rybakina. She has firmly cemented herself as the second-best player in the world. Rybakina started the season by winning her second career major at the Australian Open. She made the final at Indian Wells, losing to Aryna Sabalenka, made the semi-finals in Miami, losing to Sabalenka, but won the title in Stuttgart. Rybakina now has a great chance to win the title here in Rome with Sabalenka out of the picture. Elena Rybakina has never been known for her prowess on clay, but she is a past winner here at the Italian Open. She claimed this title back in 2023 for one of her two career WTA 1000 titles.
Elina Svitolina started 2026 with a bang, winning the ASB Classic in her first tournament of the year. She had a great showing at the Australian Open, making the semifinals. She also made the final in Dubai and the semi-finals in both Indian Wells and Stuttgart. Svitolina had been playing great tennis this year until she got upset in the Round of 64 at the Madrid Open.
Elina Svitolina has a great history here in Rome. She won back-to-back Italian Opens in 2017 and 2018 when she was at the peak of her powers. Svitolina is definitely playing her best tennis in a long time in 2026. She made it back into the top 10 for the first time since 2021 and made it to a WTA 1000 final for the first time since winning the 2018 Italian Open. Svitolina hopes she can make one more run at a title here in Rome.
Elena Rybakina vs. Elina Svitolina Pick, Best Bet
My best bet is for Elena Rybakina to win this match in two sets. Rybakina just has an extra gear that Svitolina does not possess at the moment. As great as Svitolina has played in 2026, that terrible performance in Madrid looms large when looking at her current form. She has recovered well to reach the quarter-finals here in Rome, but she has not faced very stiff competition so far.
These two faced off most recently in the semi-finals at Indian Wells. Rybakina took down Svitolina in straight sets in that match. Rybakina has never been renowned as a great clay player, but she has defeated Svitolina on clay before, at Roland-Garros in 2024, also in straight sets. This is a huge chance for Elena Rybakina to claim a title while Aryna Sabalenka is out of the picture. She should take advantage of this chance and move on to the next round.
