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Match Details
Fixture: Sofia Kenin vs Viktoriya Tomova
Date: TBD
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Sofia Kenin vs Viktoriya Tomova preview
Sofia Kenin and Viktoriya Tomova will square off for a spot in the second round at Indian Wells.
Kenin, a former Grand Slam champion, has endured a rough start to the season, winning only one of her first seven matches. She has shown flashes of her best tennis in contests like her Australian Open first-round against Iga Swiatek, but consistency has been lacking. The American will now be looking to start afresh on home soil.
Tomova, for one, made a steady start to the season by reaching the quarterfinals in Hobart. She also picked up a win at the Australian Open before losing in the first round of the next three tournaments.
The Bulgarian has, however, won a few matches in the qualification rounds. She also showed plenty of fight in a tight two-set loss to Liudmila Samsonova in Dubai last month and will be keen on getting back to winning ways.
Sofia Kenin vs Viktoriya Tomova head-to-head
Kenin and Tomova have never crossed paths on tour before, so their current head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Sofia Kenin vs Viktoriya Tomova odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Sofia Kenin vs Viktoriya Tomova prediction
Indian Wells has not been a happy hunting ground for Sofia Kenin, who has a 3-4 win-loss record at the venue.
The slower conditions, in fact, play more to the liking of Viktoriya Tomova, who likes to grind from the baseline. The Bulgarian relies on her defensive prowess to win points and can turn up the heat off of that backhand wing.
Kenin will need to keep her level of aggression up. She, however, cannot afford to give away too many free points, a problem that has plagued her often in recent matches. Her double fault count has also been relatively high of late.
Tomova will sense an opportunity to notch up a big win against an out-of-form opponent. If she can hang around in rallies long enough to frustrate Kenin, the Bulgarian well be on her way to the next round.
Prediction: Tomova to win in three sets
