It has been a spectacular two weeks of action at the Australian Open, with shocks enthralling the millions of viewers throughout the competition. Serena Williams was shockingly knocked out at an early stage, while Coco Gauff once again showcased her talents. However, neither of those stars will be playing in the final, as Gabine Muguruza and Sofia Kenin will be playing in the final.
Match Preview
Both players have done remarkably well to reach this stage, as they were distant outsiders to win the competition at the start. Kenin is the only seeded player out of the two, as she was seeded 14th, while Muguruza is ranked at 32nd. However, the Spanish player has been rolling back the years throughout the Australian Open.
She has won seven singles titles throughout her illustrious career, which also includes two Grand Slam successes. She has never won the Australian Open, with her successes coming at Wimbledon and in the French Open in 2017 and 2016 respectively. However, her form throughout this competition would highlight that she is a player that needs to be taken seriously. She has knocked out five seeded players on her route to the final. During the run, she has beaten Elina Svitolina and Simona Halep. She overcame Halep in the intriguing semi-final, where she was taken the distance in both the first two sets. The 26-year-old could win the final, as BetXChange has her as the narrow 0.54 favourite.
Meanwhile, Kenin will be looking to add a fifth singles title in the final, but she has yet to claim a Grand Slam success. This is the furthest that she has got in any Grand Slam appearance, as her previous best was the third round. She hasn’t made it past the opening round at the US Open, or the second round at Wimbledon or the French Open. However, this could be her time to shine. She has been brilliant to reach this stage and has only dropped one set. That came against Gauff in the fourth round, but she fought back to win comfortably in the end. In the semi-final, she produces a huge shock against the home favourite, and number one ranked player in the world Ashleigh Barty. She won in two sets to set up the final. If she can play to that standard again in the final, she will have a great chance at winning a first Grand Slam title.
Head to Head
The two players have only met on one previous occasion. That came in the Round of 32 in the China Open last year. Kenin won the first set 6-0, before dropping the second. However, she came back strong in the closing game to win 6-2. This match wasn’t on the same surface that is used at the Australian Open.
Prediction
This has all the makings of being a brilliant final between two players that will be desperate to win. Kenin has been brilliant throughout the competition, but Muguruza’s experience in Grand Slam finals could be the decisive factor as she wins the title.
