Michel Euler/Associated Press

French Open 2020 Women's Final: Sofia Kenin vs. Iga Swiatek Predictions

Joe Tansey

The most successful women's tennis player at the Grand Slam tournaments in 2020 has a chance to close out the majors season with her second title Saturday.

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin enters the women's singles final as the more established player in comparison to 19-year-old Iga Swiatek. The roles were reversed for Kenin's first Grand Slam final appearance, as she took down two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza at the Australian Open. 

Kenin compiled a 15-1 record at the Australian, U.S. and French Opens, but she is viewed as a slight underdog by the oddsmakers. 

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Swiatek is the favorite to take the women's singles crown after she rolled through each of her matches in straight sets. Kenin has battled more on the Paris clay with four three-set victories, but she is coming off her most dominant performance in the semifinals over Petra Kvitova.

      

Prediction

Sofia Kenin over Iga Swiatek in 3 Sets

Kenin has been tested more often than Swiatek in major tournaments and at the 2020 French Open

The fourth-seeded American won six three-set matches at majors this year, including her come-from-behind win over Muguruza in Melbourne. In both of her Australian matches that went the distance, Kenin lost the first set before rallying in the second and third. 

At Roland Garros, the 21-year-old dropped the first set twice and the second set on two occasions. 

Kenin owns a 10-3 record in three-set matches this season. The three defeats occurred back in January and February to Naomi Osaka, Jelena Ostapenko and Elena Rybakina. 

In her last three-setter, Kenin dominated Danielle Collins by winning all six games to book her spot in the final four against Kvitova. 

Conversely, Swiatek has played in just three matches that went the distance. She has two wins over players outside the top 100 in the world rankings and a loss to Anett Kontaveit from the fourth round of the Australian Open. 

Since the 19-year-old Polish player knocked out No. 1 Simona Halep and No. 15 Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets, she is more than capable of taking at least a set from Kenin.

But if the women's singles final reaches the third set, Swiatek may suffer from a lack of experience in that situation compared to what Kenin has gone through recently. 

Kenin has also displayed the ability to put opponents away in the third set, as she lost six games over four matches in the deciding set. 

If Swiatek wins a set off the No. 4 seed, she would have to achieve something none of Kenin's six opponents on the Paris clay have achieved. 

            

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from WTATennis.com.

   

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