Sofia Kenin vs. Elena Rybakina 2/18/20 - Dubai Tennis Championships Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 02/17/2020 at 9:19 AM ET
In the opening round of the 2020 WTA Dubai Tennis Championships, Elena Rybakina is set to play against Sofia Kenin from the United States.
Elena Rybakina has been in outstanding form this season as she has made the final of 3 out of the 4 tournaments she has played at. Rybakina last played at the St Petersburg Open where she finished second behind Kiki Bertens. At the age of 20, Elena Rybakina is still new on the WTA circuit but she has shown great ability and she will be hoping to significantly move up the rankings this season. This is a tough opening round fixture for Elena Rybakina as she is playing against the number 5 seed.
2020 has been extraordinary for Sofia Kenin as she started the season by winning the Australian Open. The result at Melbourne Park far exceeded the expectations placed on Kenin and she will be hoping to build from that result. During the Australian Open, Sofia Kenin defeated elite players like Ashleigh Barty and Garbine Muguruza. Over the past 12 months, Sofia Kenin has increased her strength significantly and she now has the ability to play offensive and defensive tennis. There will be big expectations placed on the shoulders of Sofia Kenin and it will be interesting to see how she handles the added pressure.
This will be the first time that Sofia Kenin and Elena Rybakina will be playing each other at a WTA event.
This should be a very exciting tennis match since Elena Rybakina and Sofia Kenin are both in tremendous form. With that in mind, I am going to pick Sofia Kenin to win this match. Elena Rybakina has been playing well but she is yet to prove herself amongst the elite players on the tour. Sofia Kenin is an elite player and she will be high on confidence following her performance at the Australian Open. I am expecting a close match but I see Sofia Kenin the fixture in 3 sets.
