World No. 1 Simona Halep will be up against the American Sofia Kenin in the second round of the Australian Open 2019 as she continues her quest for a second Grand Slam.
Watch & bet on Simona Halep v Sofia Kenin live with bet365 here* on Thursday, January 17. The Halep v Kenin match timings will be announced soon.
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Simona Halep v Sofia Kenin Head to Head
This is going to be the first time that the two ladies will be playing against each other.
Halep’s Shaky Start
The top seed started her Australian Open campaign by settling an old score with the Estonian Kaia Kanepi. Halep was defeated by the same player in the first round of the 2018 US Open and needless to mention, that defeat was on her mind as she went into this fixture.
She lost the first set to Kanepi in a tiebreaker after which, she moved on to stage a comeback. In a little over two hours and 10 minutes, Halep finally won 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2. It is fair to say that Halep got lucky to a certain extent. She was outclassed by the Estonian on several instances, as evident from here mere 25 winners in comparison to Kanepi’s 40.
However, the reigning French Open champion committed only 19 unforced errors in sharp contrast to her Kanepi’s 62.
Halep has started this season without a coach and so far, she hasn’t been that convincing. The 27-year-old played in Sydney last week where she lost to Ashleigh Barty in the opening match. There is a lot at stake here for Halep, most important of which is her No. 1 ranking. She needs to deliver a superb result in Melbourne to stay at the top.
Kenin – A Confident Player to Watch Out For
The 20-year-old American has started her season in the best way possible – by winning titles. She started her year in Auckland where she won the doubles title with Eugenie Bouchard. Kenin then travelled to Hobart, where she won her first singles title of her career.
In an incredible run where she defeated many experienced players like Caroline Garcia, Kirsten Flipkens, and Alize Cornet, she bolstered her confidence and reached her career-best singles ranking as the World No. 37.
There were glimpses of her brilliance in the previous season, most notably at the WTA Quebec and WTA Mallorca, where she reached the semifinal.
Halep v Kenin – Who Will Win?
Halep is the obvious favourite to win here. However, she has not been at her best so far while Kenin is roaring with momentum and confidence. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this one go to three sets but Halep, owing to her experience, should be able to pull this off.
You can watch & bet on Simona Halep v Sofia Kenin live with bet365 here* on Thursday, January 17.
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