Sofia Kenin will make her return to tennis since capturing the Australian Open, and she is in for tough opener against in-form Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the first round of the Dubai Duty Tennis Championships on Tuesday, February 18. The match timings will be announced at the end of the day’s play on Monday. You can find the Sofia Kenin v Elena Rybakina live streaming options along with itiss preview, head to head and tips here.
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Sofia Kenin v Elena Rybakina Head to Head
This will be a first meeting between the 21-year-old Kenin and her Kazakh opponent Rybakina, one year her junior.
Kenin Defied The Odds To Claim Maiden Grand Slam Title
What a difference a year makes. Sofia Kenin, the newest breed of America’s next generation star has etched her name in the illustrious list of Grand Slam winners after capturing the 2020 Australian Open at an astronomical odds, becoming the eighth first-time women’s champion in the past dozen majors.
Kenin is returning to Dubai as the top-ranked American and will no doubt be in good stead to better her last year’s appearance which was a third round exit when she was still an anonymous World No.37.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom in the space of 12 months. She won three WTA singles titles and memorably shocked Serena Williams in the third of the French Open in 2019. The Russian-born American also secured back-to-back semifinals in Toronto and Cincinnati, beating World No.1 Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka.
Shortly after winning the Australian Open, Kenin admitted that she had been largely overlooked. But it is fair to say, she has everyone’s attention right now.
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Rybakina Has Been A Breath of Fresh Air
Elena Rybakina is another up-and-coming WTA young talent with a spring in her step. The 20-year-old Kazakh has been a sensation in 2020.
Rybakina has already made three tour-level finals this year, finishing runner-up in Shenzhen and St. Petersburg and beat Zhang Shuai to win Hobart – her second title after winning Bucharest last summer.
By reaching five WTA tour finals in her young career is nothing but impressive, and at this rate it doesn’t even feel remotely like a surprise given how good she has been off late.
The Russian-born Kazakh has now broken inside the world’s top-20 for the very first time after a series of jaw-dropping performances and results in the early quarter of 2020. Can she maintain that winning habit in Dubai?
Sofia Kenin v Elena Rybakina Predictions & Tips
This should be a very enjoyable first round meeting between two players who have the potential to elevate the women’s game to the next level. Kenin is set to contest her first match since the Australian Open final and will certainly have fresher legs for this match. Rybakina in contrast has played a great deal of tennis in the last month, and is set to arrive in Dubai with just a couple of extra days for recovery after a long week in St. Petersburg.
Tip: Kenin to win in straight sets: 10/11 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
You can watch & bet on Kenin v Rybakina on Tuesday, February 18 here. . Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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