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Match Details
Fixture: (6) Elena Rybakina vs (WC) Sofia Kenin
Date: February 20, 2025
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Al Garhoud
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $3.6 million
Live Telecast: US - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin preview
Sixth seed Elena Rybakina will take on Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on February 20. The winner of this match will take on 12th seed Mirra Andreeva.
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Rybakina received a bye to the second round of the WTA 1000 event by virtue of her seeding and started with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Moyuka Uchijima. The 25-year-old then faced Paula Badosa and found herself a set down. However, she bounced back and eventually triumphed 4-6, 7-6(8), 7-6(2) to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Kenin received a wildcard to the main draw of the Dubai Tennis Championships and started her campaign with an impressive 7-5, 6-3 win over 16th seed Donna Vekic. The American then faced Marta Kostyuk and came back from a set down to win a thrilling encounter 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(5).
In the third round, Kenin faced fourth seed Jasmine Paolini and took the lead by taking the first set 6-4. The Italian suffered a fall during the second set and the American eventually dominated it to register a 6-4, 6-0 win and book her place in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head
Rybakina leads 2-0 in the head-to-head between the two. Their last meeting came in the second round of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where Rybakina won 7-6(6), 7-6(5).
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM.
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin prediction
Rybakina will enter the match as the favorite to win and she will be high on confidence after her win over Badosa during what is not the most pleasant of times for her with all the controversy surrounding her former coach Stefano Vukov. That said, Kenin cannot be underestimated because at her best, she can be quite a competitor.
Rybakina's serve is among the very best and she has served 17 aces so far in Dubai. She will look to fetch a lot more of those against Kenin, but will also have to be careful not to produce too many double faults, having served eight of those in her last match. Her aggressive power game will no doubt not be easy for Kenin to handle.
The American also likes to play aggressively but she is also an able counterpuncher, which might come in handy against the Kazakh's intensity. Kenin will look to make the most out of her variety and will no doubt have to come up with something real special if she is to beat Rybakina.
Given the quality of both players, we could have an interesting encounter. However, after Rybakina's resilience against Badosa, there is a very good chance of the Kazakh coming out on top and reaching the semifinals in Dubai.
Pick: Rybakina to win in straight sets.
