Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Sofia Kenin Prediction, Picks, Odds, H2H, Stats - 2/4/25

Sofia Kenin needed to pass qualifying to reach the main draw of the Abu Dhabi Open and plays a first-round clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Tuesday in the UAE. 

At -150, Pavlyuchenkova is favored to reach the next stage of this WTA500 event and the American will have to play the underdog role.

EJ Garr’s prediction for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Sofia Kenin features odds at -109 which you can find below.

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Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Sofia Kenin WTA Abu Dhabi Open Prediction: American Playing Role of Underdog

• Prediction: First-set Total Over 9.5 Games
• Best Odds: +100
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 3/10

Odds as of 7:00 am UK Time on February 4, 2025. Odds may now differ.

Sofia Kenin produced equivalent 7 – 6, 6 – 2, wins in qualifying for the main draw of the Abu Dhabi Open and the American arrives as the underdog against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Pavlyuchenkova starts the week ranked 26th on the WTA Tour and is still working back into form after the lengthy layoff to end the 2024 campaign. Anastasia’s season ended on August 31st at the US Open and returned on January 5 at Adelaide. 

Marketa Vondrousova rudely welcomed her back with a straight-sets defeat at Adelaide to start the year but rebounded well at the first Major Tournament of the WTA calendar. Pavlyuckenkova reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and took a set from Aryna Sabalenka before exiting the Major.

Kenin defeated Aoi Ito and Veronika Kudermetova with the same scoreline and the American was only broken twice in each match. Sonya’s serve is starting to come along and helped her stay above water with a 5 – 3 record to open the season.

Let’s not forget that 2024 was a year to forget for Kenin so any positive record is better than anything produced last year.

When you can rely on your serve to keep you in matches it can keep you in matches and Kenin has more control this year. 

Going up against 26th-ranked Pavlyuchenkova will be a big test as a +130 underdog and I hope that serve helps us cash the Over 9.5 games in the opening frame. 

ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA PLAYER RECENT FORM

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was ranked 11th in 2021 and hopes to stay healthy enough to get there again in 2025.

Pavlyuchenkova went 4 – 0 at the Australian Open and gave Aryna Sabalenka a decent battle before bowing out of the first Major of the year.

SOFIA KENIN RECENT FORM

Sofia Kenin starts the week ranked 75th on the WTA Tour and has five wins from eight outings to begin the season.

Kenin produced a losing record on all three surfaces during the 2024 campaign and the former World’s #4 hasn’t appeared in the top 10 in five years.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA VS KENIN HTH –  STAT OF THE MATCH

Pavlyuchenkova and Kenin met twice on the WTA Tour during the 2019 campaign.

During the Asian swing near the end of 2019, Kenin defeated Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets at Wuhan and again in Beijing a month later.

The winner of this match will face Renata Zarazua or Magda Linette in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open.

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