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Match details
Fixture: Jelena Ostapenko vs Sofia Kenin.
Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: Dubai, UAE.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $703,580.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Sofia Kenin preview
Two former Grand Slam champions are set for an exciting showdown as Jelena Ostapenko takes on Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Ostapenko reached the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy last week, where she lost to Anett Kontaveit. The Latvian has endured a rough start to the year, losing to Paula Badosa at the Sydney Tennis Classic in the first round. This was followed by a third-round exit from the Australian Open at the hands of Barbora Krejcikova.
Ostapenko will be feeling much more confident after a largely successful week in St. Petersburg. The 2017 Roland Garros champion will look to put up a similar performance in Dubai.
Sofia Kenin struggled mightily in 2021, ending the year with a 10-10 record. She started the season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International, where she lost to World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. Kenin even saved a match point in her second-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic, displaying the fighting spirit and tenacity she became known for.
Just when it appeared like the 23-year-old had begun playing well, she made first-round exits from the Sydney Tennis Classic and the Australian Open. She lost her match against Daria Kasatkina in Sydney quite handily, but put up a fight before eventually going down to Madison Keys in Melbourne.
Kenin will have to considerably raise her level if she wants to turn things around and string together a run of good results.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head
The two have competed against each other twice before, with the head-to-head being tied at 1-1. Both their matches have gone the distance, with Kenin winning their most recent encounter at the 2021 Roland Garros in three sets.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Sofia Kenin prediction
Based on their current form, Ostapenko will have the edge going into this contest. The Latvian has turned her year around after a slow start, while Kenin has regressed after a rather decent start to 2022.
The former Roland Garros champion is the more aggressive player of the two. Her high-risk gameplay tends to accumulate a fair number of errors, but is equally rewarding. A large number of double faults at inopportune times was an area of concern for Ostapenko, but she has improved quite a bit in that aspect.
Kenin is known for utilizing a variety of shots in her arsenal to make things difficult for her opponents. However, she hasn't been able to use them with much success as the American has been going through a rough patch for a long time now.
Against a different opponent, Kenin might've had a fighting chance even in her current form. But Ostapenko seems to have found her groove now and her opponents need to be at their best to get the better of the Latvian if she's on song.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in straight sets.
