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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Jasmine Paolini vs (WC) Sofia Kenin
Date: February 19, 2025
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $3,654,963
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, TVA
Jasmine Paolini vs Sofia Kenin preview
Defending champion Jasmine Paolini will square off against Sofia Kenin in the third round of the Dubai Tennis Championships 2025.
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After a first-round bye, Paolini commenced her title defense against Eva Lys in the second round. The Italian initially squandered her early break advantage but had the last laugh. She bagged the last three games of the first set to put herself in the driver's seat.
There were quite a few momentum shifts in the second set as well as multiple rain delays. Lys overcame a 3-0 deficit to go 4-3 up with a break in hand, only for Paolini to level the score.
Lys then served to stay in the match at 6-5 and found herself staring at a couple of match points. She fended off the first one, and then heavy rains forced them off the court for hours. After an agonizing wait, Paolini got the job done upon their return for a 6-2, 7-5 win.
Kenin upset 16th seed Donna Vekic 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round, where she faced Marta Kostyuk. The American did a good job of making the first set competitive after she fell behind 3-1 in it. However, she came up short in it as she dropped serve in the final game of the set to concede it to her opponent.
Kenin let go of a 3-1 lead in the second set as Kostyuk fought to force a tie-break. The former Australian Open champion was on the brink of defeat but saved a couple of match points to clinch the set. The third set went down to the wire as well, and she outplayed her opponent in the tie-break to wrap up a 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5) comeback win.
Jasmine Paolini vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head
Kenin leads Paolini 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the Guangzhou Open 2019 in straight sets.
Jasmine Paolini vs Sofia Kenin odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jasmine Paolini vs Sofia Kenin prediction
While Paolini bowed out in the third round of singles at last week's Qatar Open, she took home the doubles trophy. She didn't let the frequent rain interruptions dampen her spirits and started her title defense in Dubai on a winning note.
Kenin had one foot out the door but showed nerves of steel to erase a couple of match points during her win over Kostyuk, a semifinalist at the Qatar Open. The American has won both of her prior matches against Paolini but that was before the latter's ascension to the top of the sport.
Kenin's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse following her career-best season in 2020, during which she won the Australian Open. Nevertheless, she still manages to upset a top player or two every year. The American will be the underdog in this match-up, though having already beaten two higher-ranked players this week, she will aim to keep the party going.
Pick: Jasmine Paolini to win in three sets.
