🎾 WTA Charleston: Daria Kasatkina vs Sofia Kenin

🎾 WTA Charleston: Daria Kasatkina vs Sofia Kenin – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

🇦🇺 Daria Kasatkina

• 🏆 Charleston royalty: 2017 champion and 2024 finalist with a 19–4 lifetime record at this event—never lost before the quarterfinals here.
• 🧱 Clay queen credentials: Elite tactician on clay; thrives with variation, heavy topspin, and superior point construction.
• 🚀 Form watch: Searching for first QF since January, but her dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Lauren Davis shows she's in rhythm on green clay.

🇺🇸 Sofia Kenin

• 🌅 Breakthrough in Charleston: Reaches her first QF at this event in her 7th appearance—defeated Pera and 2022 champ Bencic in straights.
• 📈 Resurgent run: Back inside the top 50 with four WTA QFs in the past six months, including a Dubai WTA 1000 run.
• 🎾 Attacking game: Early timing, flat backhands, and precise shot-making can hurt even elite clay-courters when she's dialed in.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This is a stylistic contrast between Kasatkina's tactical mastery and Kenin’s calculated aggression. Kasatkina will use her spin, slice, and angles to control tempo and extend rallies, a strategy that suits Charleston’s high-bounce green clay.

Kenin will aim to shorten points, attack Kasatkina’s forehand early, and dictate from the baseline. Her ability to strike first will be crucial—if she gets stuck defending, Kasatkina’s rhythm will grind her down.

Their recent meetings (Kasatkina edged a thriller in Indian Wells) show this matchup can be tight. Kenin’s win over Bencic was a statement, but Kasatkina’s consistency on clay and Charleston résumé remain major advantages.

🔮 Prediction

Pick: Daria Kasatkina in 3 sets

Kenin is trending up and full of belief—but Charleston is Kasatkina’s comfort zone. Expect long rallies and tight scorelines, but Kasatkina’s clay-court instincts should prove decisive.