French Open 2019: Serena Williams vs Sofia Kenin, Preview and Prediction

In an all-American third round match of the 2019 French Open, Serena Williams takes on Sofia Kenin. This will be the first match between the two.

With due respect to the world number 35, the result should depend on what Serena does and how she performs on the night. If Serena plays at a level even close to her best - as she did in her second round match against Kurumi Nara - Kenin will stand little to no chance of withstanding the onslaught.

However, if Serena plays the kind of match she played against Vitalia Diatchenko in the opening round, then Kenin surely has a chance to pull off the upset. This year, Serena has had quite a few below-par performances, and, after playing two matches on the trot, it remains to be seen whether she is at her best physically.

Ultimately, it all boils down to what Serena does on the court. After her first match, she had publicly derided herself, stating that the performance was unbecoming of her and not the Serena everyone had come to know. However, against Kurumi Nara, she produced her best performance of this season, crushing her with a whopping 36 winners!

Kenin will go into this match with nothing to lose. If she plays freely and produces her best tennis, she might be able to push Serena and make a match of it! What also works in her favour is that she has played only one match thus far and has got enough rest after her second round opponent, Bianca Andreescu pulled out of their match and gave her a walkover.

But who are we kidding? Whether it is a barrage of unforced errors or winners, it's Serena's racquet that will decide the outcome of the match.

Prediction: Serena Williams to win in three sets