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Match details
Fixture: (10) Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin
Date: March 11, 2023
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin preview
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina opens her Indian Wells campaign against former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin on Saturday.
Rybakina has a 10-4 win-loss record for the season heading into the BNP Paribas Open. The biggest highlight of her year so far has been her dazzling run to the final of the Australian Open. The Kazakh scalped World No. 1 Iga Swiatek on her way to the summit clash, where she fell to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets.
The achievement helped Rybakina break into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time in her career.
The World No. 10 has since made a quarterfinal in Abu Dhabi and a Round-of-16 appearance in Dubai. She had to concede her pre-quarterfinal match in the latter to Coco Gauff due to a lower back injury.
The 23-year-old will now be playing her first match on the tour since that injury.
Kenin, winner of the 2020 Australian Open, is gradually inching her way back into the top echelons of the sport after a long battle with multiple injuries. The former World No. 4, who is now placed at a lowly 170th, reached the semifinals of the Hobart International in just her second tournament of the season.
However, Kenin failed to sustain the momentum and succumbed to first-round defeats at the Australian Open and Linz thereafter.
During the Middle Eastern swing, the 24-year-old managed to win just a solitary match.
Kenin bounced back with a strong 6-4, 6-1 win over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head
Rybakina has a 1-0 lead over Kenin in their head-to-head. The Kazakh won their only encounter 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-3 at Dubai in 2020.
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin odds
(Odds sourced from bet365)
Elena Rybakina vs Sofia Kenin prediction
Although Rybakina is returning from a brief injury scare, she has been in much better form than Kenin over the past few months. The Kazakh could take a few games to settle into the match, but once she finds her range, she could be hard to stop.
The 2022 Indian Wells quarterfinalist likes to take the ball early and hit flat on both wings. She has tremendously improved her on-court movement and mentality over the past year, and has been reaping huge dividends.
That said, Kenin won't be an easy opposition by any means. She is excellent at converting defense into offense and breaking her opponents' rhythm with her array of slices and dropshots.
The American will look to use the same tactic to draw an error out of Rybakina's racquet, but if the Kazakh keeps firing solid serves and painting the lines, Kenin might not get much of a chance.
Pick: Elena Rybakina to win in three sets.
