H2H: Iga Swiatek vs. Sofia Kenin - Prediction (WTA SINGLES French Open Final

Preview and players comparison.

2018 junior doubles champion Swiatek is the lowest-ranked women’s finalist in 43 years and will start off as the favorite against Kenin in their second encounter in Paris. The world no. 54, who is also having an excellent fortnight in doubles, defeated two-year-older Kenin in the 2016 girls’ singles third-round match, 6-4, 7-5.

Iga Swiatek’s ferocious forehand was on display during her semifinal against qualifier Nadia Podoroska, helping her write a new bit of Polish history. They both erred 20 times over the course of 70 minutes, but the 19-year-old struck nearly four times as many winners as the Argentine player (23 to 6) and comfortably won 6-2, 6-1. Swiatek made her Grand Slam breakthrough at Roland-Garros last year, advancing to its fourth round while on her tournament debut as a professional. That run was ended by defending champion Simona Halep, 6-1, 6-0, in 45 minutes, something she managed to avenge earlier this fortnight in an equally emphatic style, 6-1, 6-2.

At the start of the tournament, Swiatek had competed in Slam tournaments just six times, making it no further than the fourth round. Moreover, she had lost her only warm-up match to world no. 72 Arantxa Rus at Rome in straight sets. The teenager has now booked her spot in the final with the loss of just 23 games in six rounds. Swiatek’s road to the final is the fifth-most efficient in Roland-Garros history in terms of games lost in six completed matches, behind the likes of Pierce (10), Graf (20), S. Williams (21), and Evert (22). En route, she has vanquished 2019 finalist Vondrousova, 2014 semifinalist Bouchard, and top seed and 2018 champion Halep. Polish players are not known for winning finals of majors. Jadwiga Jedrzejowska lost one final each at Wimbledon, New York, and Paris in the late 1930s — the last one just two months before the Poland invasion and escape from Gestapo — and Agnieszka Radwanska fell to Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2012, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.

In just the fourth all-seed encounter of the tournament, Sofia Kenin outclassed 2012 semifinalist Petra Kvitova, 6-4, 7-5, in an hour and three-quarters for her first victory over the Czech in third encounter. The American was the better player in longer rallies (led the ones with 5+ shot by 28 to 19) and saved 10/12 breakpoints. Kenin’s path to the championship match could not have been more different than Swiatek. While the Pole hasn’t lost more than four games in a set, the fourth seed has played the deciding set in four out of six rounds, even against much lower-ranked opponents, world no. 125 Ludmilla Samsonova and world no. 93 Ana Bogdan. Kenin also scripted her slam breakout in Paris last year. She defeated three-time champion Serena Williams en route her maiden fourth round (l. eventual champion Barty). The 21-year-old will now bid to make it two-on-two in Grand Slam finals after beating former world no. 1 Garbine Muguruza at Melbourne, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Kenin is 5-1 in tour finals. Apart from the Australian Open, her other titles have all been Internationals, including one at the French event of Lyon in March (d. Friedsam). In contrast, Swiatek has played just one WTA final, at Lugano in 2019 (l. Hercog), and her biggest and latest pro title came at the $60k-level two years ago.