Roland Garros: Sofia Kenin vs Fiona Ferro preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020

Match details

Fixture: (4) Sofia Kenin vs Fiona Ferro

Date: 5 October 2020

Tournament: Roland Garros 2020

Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000

Match timing: Approx. 7 pm CEST, 10.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Sofia Kenin vs Fiona Ferro preview

Fourth seed Sofia Kenin will look to make her first ever quarterfinal at Roland Garros when she takes on the 49th-ranked Fiona Ferro in the fourth round on Monday.

After her struggles on the tour restart, Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin finally seems to have got her rhythm back. Kenin was stretched to three sets in her first two matches at Roland Garros, but the 21-year-old was back to her menacing best against the 142nd-ranked Irina Bara.

Her tally of 34 winners against 25 unforced errors was reminiscent of her memorable run in Melbourne and Lyon at the start of the season. The fact that the World No. 6 still has scope to improve her game as she seeks to reach the latter stages of the French Open 2020 makes her even more dangerous for her upcoming opponents.

Fiona Ferro, meanwhile, has produced her career-best showing in a Grand Slam. And that has come on the back of her title win at Palermo after the tour resumption.

Ferro has played only five tournaments this year, and her win-loss record in 2020 stands at 9-5. But five of those wins came at Palermo alone, proving how confidently she has been striking the ball lately.

Ferro has displayed her full repertoire of skills during her campaign in Roland Garros. Her talent was especially evident in her three-set upset of the in-form 14th seed Elena Rybakina, who had finished as the runner-up at Strasbourg a week back.

Losing the second set didn't deter Ferro, and she was able to rebound for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win. Even against Istanbul champion Patricia Maria Tig, Ferro exhibited her fighting spirit in a gritty 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-0 victory.

Sofia Kenin vs Fiona Ferro head-to-head

Sofia Kenin holds a 1-0 edge over Fiona Ferro in their head-to-head rivalry. Kenin got the better of the Frenchwoman in a 7-5, 6-2 win on the claycourts of Charleston in 2017.

Sofia Kenin vs Fiona Ferro prediction

Fiona Ferro

Since joining forces with trainer Emmanuel Planque, Fiona Ferro has turned over a new leaf. She claims to have become more professional now, and tries to remain positive and calm even when things aren't going her way. The change in attitude, along with a newfound conviction in her shot-making, has been a big reason for her turnaround in the past couple of months.

Ferro has been able to push herself even when she has lost a set. That approach will help her a great deal as she takes on the 21-year-old Kenin on Monday.

Ferro can hit a big forehand with depth and precision even under pressure, which played a big role in her upset against Rybakina. Most importantly, the Frenchwoman is comfortable playing on clay and moves very well.

The 23-year-old will have to impose her aggressive game on Kenin and make her rush into her shots. That strategy had contributed to a slew of unforced errors from the Moscow-born American in her first two matches.

However, with Kenin showing signs of resurgence in her last match, Ferro might find it tough to execute her plans on the day. If Kenin comes out striking the ball confidently, Ferro might not get a lot of chances to put her on the backfoot.

Besides, Kenin can also efficiently mix up her game, especially with perfectly executed dropshots, to break her opponent's momentum.

All things considered, Kenin's big-match playing experience will likely help her come though even if Ferro provides some stiff resistance.

Prediction: Sofia Kenin to win in three sets.