Sofia Kenin vs Anna-Lena Friedsam Odds & Pick: WTA Lyon Open Finals
- No. 1 seed Sofia Kenin faces Anna-Lena Friedsam Sunday (March 8, 9 am ET) in the final of the WTA Lyon Open
- This will be Kenin’s first final since winning the Australian Open
- See below for a betting preview and prediction
The stage is set for the final of the WTA Lyon Open on Sunday (March 8, 9 am ET). Standing on one side of the net is unsurprisingly the number one seed Sofia Kenin. Standing across from her will be quite possibly the one player no one believed would make it this far in Anna-Lena Friedsam.
If you took a guess that Kenin is the favorite coming into this contest, then you would be right. But Friedsam has proved oddsmakers wrong time and time again. So did they get it right this time around?
Sofia Kenin vs Anna-Lena Friedsam Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia Kenin | -4 (-118) | -280 | Over 20.5 (-120) |
| Anna-Lena Friedsam | +4 (-102) | +235 | Under 20.5 (+100) |
Odds taken March 7th.
Friedsam Rounding Into Form
Friedsam’s ranking might say 136, but that is flat out wrong. The 26-year-old out of Germany has spent several years hovering around the top-100 mark. In 2016, she got to a career high of number 67 in the world. Injuries over the years however, have placed her behind the eight ball.
If the Lyon Open is any indication however, then it seems as though she is at full strength.
The finalists of the first edition of Lyon Open 2020 https://t.co/j3g3zMq7tF #musktree #annalenafriedsam #sofiakenin #lyonopen2020finalists
— musktree.com (@Musktreetennis) March 7, 2020
Friedsam’s first round contest against Anastasiya Komardina wasn’t much of one as she routed her in straight sets.
Although it was a good win for Friedsam in the opening round, her next opponent, second seed Kristina Mladenovic was a clear step up in class. Friedsam showed no fear whatsoever as she routed her in straight sets as well.
Waiting for the unseeded Friedsam in the next round was eight seed Viktoria Kuzmova.
After dropping the first set, Friedsam showed her resolve by winning the next two. One more win, this time coming against Daria Kasatkina, in the semifinals in three sets, set her up for a showdown against one of the hottest players on tour.
Kenin Continues Her Breakout Year
Kenin has become a star seemingly overnight. It isn’t hard to see why with her improbable win at the Australian Open to start the year. She’s found a way to keep her momentum going at the Lyon Open, but things haven’t been smooth sailing.
Other than a straight sets win over Vitalia Diatchenko in the opening round, Kenin has really had to fight to keep her tournament run alive.
Second final of the season 👏😘
Горжусь тобой #sofiakenin pic.twitter.com/SRYwpKPFEl— Tatiana Kondratieva (@texet2994) March 7, 2020
Jaqueline Cristian, who was the second opponent of Kenin, did a great job of winning the first set in their contest. She couldn’t keep things going during the rest of the match as Kenin won the next two sets easily.
Oceane Dodin and Alison Van Uytvanck gave the number one seed all she could handle in consecutive matches, pushing her to three sets.
Yet, much like in her run at the Australian Open where she had to fight from behind on numerous occasions, Kenin showed she had no issue doing just that and now finds herself in her second final of the year.
Both women are on a roll, but who has the edge between them?
How They Matchup
These two women have never gone head-to-head, so they will have to get adjusted to how the other plays.
Facing Kenin is never a walk in the park, and her new found confidence has made her a nightmare to play as of late. That isn’t to say that Friedsam won’t have her chances to win because she will, but all signs are pointing to her cinderella like run coming to an end.
| 5 | Rankings | 136 |
| 13-5 | 2020 Record | 9-4 |
| 1 | 2020 Singles Titles | 0 |
| $2.9 M | 2020 Prize Money | $29.9K |
Final Pick: Sofia Kenin
It’s difficult to ignore just how great Friedsam has been over this tournament. Not only is she beating players that are ranked much higher than her, but she is doing it in dominant fashion.
With that being said, no matter how impressive Friedsam has been, her level of play doesn’t quite measure up to that of Kenin.
The top seed has been one of the best young players in the world for quite some time. But now, the word “young” has to be removed from that statement.
Kenin is simply one of the best players in the world and she’ll prove that once again when she hoists the Lyon Open trophy after defeating Friedsam in straight sets.
Pick: Kenin -4 (-118)
Hans Themistode has worked in sports journalism since attending Queens College, and has worked for several newspapers including the BX Times and Canarsie Courier, as well as writing for publications such as Fansided and The Clever. His work has also been featured on Bleacher Report.
