WTA San Diego Open final: Preview and prediction

If you like your tennis news with bits of comeback stories, you are going to love what has happened at the WTA 500 in San Diego this week. The San Diego Open has seen a bunch of upsets, but also some stunning play by one player who hasn’t made a final in a few years and another player who is having her best year. So who is going to win on Saturday between Sofia Kenin and fourth-seed Barbora Krejcikova?

Some backstory here. Sofia Kenin is only 24 years old, though seems as if she has been playing for two decades, and was once ranked as high as number 4 (March 9, 2020). She seemed on the verge of long-term success when she was only 21 years old, including winning the 2020 Australian Open. Then she disappeared for a while. The San Diego Open will be Kenin’s first WTA final of any kind since 2020.

Up until the San Diego Open, Kenin has had a rough go the last couple of years. At different times, she has had COVID, had appendicitis, and tore ankle ligaments. On top of that, she has fired her coach, who also happens to be her father, and then rehired him. But now here she is in the WTA 500 final.

Who will win the WTA 500 San Diego Open final: Kenin or Krejcikova?

Meanwhile, Barbora Krejcikova, who was ranked as high as number 2 on the WTA tour (February 28, 2022), and hasn’t played all that well in a couple of months, is actually having a decent year overall. She reached the finals at the Rothesay Classic in June and she won in Dubai in February, defeating top-ranked Iga Swiatek in straight sets.

Krejcikova defeated Danielle Collins in the semifinal and battled back from a set down and a break down in the third set before getting her serve back on track. So who is going to win the final?

Both Krejcikova and Kenin can hit their forehands with pace but Krejcikova has a better serve when she is on. So if Krejcikova shows up on Sunday and is playing near her best, she should win in the three sets. But I think Kenin is playing with confidence again and takes the match in straight sets.