French Open 2021: Sofia Kenin vs. Jessica Pegula Preview, Head-to-Head & Prediction
Matthew Perez The French Open 2021 has been full of drama on and off the court so far. Tennis fans are now looking forward to catching the all-American clash in the third round. Fourth seed Sofia Kenin will take on the 28th seed Jessica Pegula for a seat in the Last 16 in Paris.
Notably, 2021 has not been a rewarding season for the 2020 Australian Open champion, Sofia Kenin. First, she failed to defend her title in Melbourne, crashing out in the second round. After that, the 22-year-old only managed a single win in five tournaments before Roland-Garros.
via Reuters
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 3, 2021, Sofia Kenin of the U.S. reacts during her second round match against Hailey Baptiste of the U.S. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
But things have started to turn around for the young American on the Parisian clay. She defeated the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the first round and compatriot Hailey Baptiste next.
Conversely, the 27-year-old Jessica Pegula has had a sensational season so far. She has made it into three quarterfinals and one semifinal, including the last 8 in Melbourne Park.
via Reuters
Tennis – WTA Premier 5 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 14, 2021, Jessica Pegula of the U.S. in action during her quarter final match against Croatia’s Petra Martic REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Coming at Roland-Garros 2021, Pegula overcame Chinese professional Zhu Lin and Czech talent Tereza Martincova to reach the third round. This begs an interesting question. Can she steer past the Kenin test as well?
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Sofia Kenin vs. Jessica Pegula: Head-to-Head
Surprisingly, Pegula has a 2-1 advantage over Kenin in their head-to-head battles. However, the younger American got her first win only this year at Yarra Valley Classic, Melbourne.
Therefore, Kenin has an opportunity to level their terms at French Open 2021. But who of the two has got the better chance?
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Kenin vs. Pegula: Prediction
Although both of them prefer to play on hard courts, they also love contesting on a clay surface. Hence, it will be an intriguing matchup between the two talented Americans.
via Reuters
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 3, 2021, Sofia Kenin of the U.S. during her second round match against Hailey Baptiste of the U.S. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
However, given the experience on the premier clay court, Kenin is the favorite for the match. Moreover, she has found her lost rhythm on serve, and that would be her biggest weapon. She will also go all-out on the attack front, asking her opponent to keep with her intensity.
On the other side, Pegula has raw power which can hurt any opponent. If she manages to find control early in the match, she can take it all the way.
All in all, it is one of the quality-tennis encounters at Roland-Garros. Let us see who goes ahead to the fourth round.
Prediction: Kenin to win in the third set.
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