Cincinnati 2022: Shelby Rogers vs Sofia Kenin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Western & Southern Open

Shelby Rogers (L) & Sofia Kenin square off in an all-American first-round clash

Match Details

Fixture: Shelby Rogers vs Sofia Kenin

Tournament: Cincinnati Open 2022

Round: First Round (Round of 64)

Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Ohio, United States

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hard

Prize money: $2,527,250

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Rogers Sportsnet, TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

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Shelby Rogers vs Sofia Kenin preview

Shelby Rogers and Sofia Kenin will lock horns in an all-American first-round showdown at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

The 29-year-old Rogers is coming off a fantastic start to the US Open Series. She went on a giant-killing run at the Silicon Valley Classic, accounting for the likes of Bianca Andreescu, Maria Sakkari, Amanda Anisimova, and Veronika Kudermetova to reach the final.

In the summit clash, she took a tight first set in a tie-break against Daria Kasatkina before the Russian stormed back to take the match in three sets.

Having put up her best performance of the season just a week back, the World No. 30 will be eager to continue the momentum in Cincinnati.

Sofia Kenin in action at the National Bank Open Toronto

Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, meanwhile, has had a troubled couple of seasons. Last year saw the American's title defense in Melbourne end early, which was followed by an emergency appendectomy and a shuffling in her coaching team.

She then picked up a foot injury and later tested positive for COVID-19, which forced her to miss the Olympics and the US Open.

Having played her last match at Wimbledon in 2021, Kenin returned to action this year in Adelaide, where she made the quarterfinals. Following a series of first-round exits, Kenin once again suffered an ankle injury in March, which stalled her comeback.

Having recovered now, the 23-year-old finally returned to the circuit at the CIti Open last week, bowing out to Camila Osorio in the first round. This week, she put up an encouraging display in Toronto before being edged by former US Open winner Sloane Stephens in three sets.

With her ranking having plummeted to 416 now, the former World No. 4 is desperately looking to get some wins under her belt and regain her confidence.

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Shelby Rogers vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head

Rogers and Kenin are tied at 1-1 in the head-to-head. While Kenin won their first meeting at Wesley Chapel in 2016, Rogers came through in their most recent clash at Indian Harbour Beach that same year.

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Shelby Rogers vs Sofia Kenin odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets
Shelby Rogers	-303	-4.5 (-110)
Sofia Kenin	+242	+4.5 (-125)

(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)

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Shelby Rogers vs Sofia Kenin prediction

Shelby Rogers in action at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic

Rogers and Kenin are at the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as their form and confidence are concerned. While Rogers will be entering this contest on the back of her season-best performance, Kenin has just started her comeback from injury.

Needless to say, Rogers is the heavy favorite to come through this clash. The older American put up a brilliant attacking display throughout her San Jose campaign. She played excellent first-strike tennis, winning over 70% of her first-serve points in her four wins.

Rogers will look to bring the same approach against Kenin as well. She needs to keep the points short and make forays into the net as often as possible.

Kenin is adept at converting defense into offense and will look to engage her older compatriot in long rallies before striking the blow. The 23-year-old also has deadly dropshots up her sleeve with which she will look to surprise her opponent.

It might work to a certain extent, but maintaining it throughout the match could prove to be difficult for Kenin, especially if Rogers serves well right from the start.

Pick: Shelby Rogers to win in two tight sets.

Also Check Out: Shelby Rogers Net Worth