World No.1, Aryna Sabalenka will clash with American tennis professional and former Australian Open winner, Sofia Kenin at the China Open in their first-round match. The two will be across the net from each other for a second time this year. They previously locked horns earlier this year in May at Rome, where Kenin thrashed Sabalenka to proceed to the third round of the event.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Sofia Kenin: Match Details
- Tournament: China Open 2023
- Match: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Sofia Kenin
- Date: September 30, 2023
- Time: 10:00 p.m.(EST)
- Venue: National Tennis Centre, Beijing, China
- Round: First(Round of 64)
- Surface: Hard Court
- Prize Money: $32,325
Aryna Sabalenka vs Sofia Kenin: Match Preview
Australian Open Champion Aryna Sabalenka has had a pretty good season so far. The Belarusian is the only player in the WTA circuit to have made it to the Final Four of all 4 Grand Slam events this year. Sabalenka will be playing her first match at the tournament since her loss in the final-round match against Coco Gauff at the US Open earlier in September.
America’s Sofia Kenin made a shocking first-round exit at the US Open. However, the 25-year-old has had an amazing season. Making a comeback from her injury woes, the 2020 Australian Open champ started her season with her ranked outside of the Top 200 rankings on the WTA list. However, she managed to enter the top 150 in the first half of the year. In the last few weeks, Kenin reached the finals of the San Diego Open. She also played at the recently concluded Guadalajara Open, only to lose in the semi-finals.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Sofia Kenin: Match Prediction
World No.1, Aryna Sabalenka, and World No.31, Sofia Kenin, both are in great form this season. Sabalenka and Kenin’s head-to-head score stands at 2:1. The two had clashed twice in 2018 on the hard court, where Sabalenka defeated Kenin on both occasions. However, in their clash earlier this year in May, Kenin took her revenge on the Belarusian, defeating her for the first time.
The upcoming clash between the two Major winners ought to be an interesting watch for the tennis fans.
Sabalenka will have revenge on her mind when she steps on court later today for her clash with the American. The Belarusian possesses strong gameplay and delivers fast serves. However, the World No.1 needs to keep herself wary of committing too many unforced errors in her upcoming match against Kenin.
Kenin, on the other hand, plays a strategic game on-court. The American is well known for her exceptional backhand strokes and, having defeated the Belarusian earlier this year, she will be much more confident and sure of herself this time around. Having participated at the Guadalajara Open and the event in San Diego, Kenin is well-prepared and will be on the lookout to win the big in Beijing.
Match Prediction: Sofia Kenin to win in a three-setter.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Sofia Kenin: Live Stream Details
- USA – Tennis Channel
- UK – Amazon Prime
- Canada – TSN
- Australia – beIN Sports
- Belgium – Telenet, BeTV
- Brazil – ESPN Brazil
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