Kenin and Krejcikova won their semifinal in three sets on Friday: the American by beating her compatriot Emma Navarro (61st) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, the Czech by getting the better of another American, Danielle Collins (43rd), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 after almost falling by the wayside in two sets.
Sofia Kenin, former world No. 4 and winner of the Australian Open in 2020, will play at the age of 24 her eighth final on the WTA Tour where she will aim for the sixth title of her career, the last dating back nearly three years, in 2020 in Guangzhou.
Krejcikova, 27 years old and great doubles specialist, who rose in singles to the rank of world No. 2 at the beginning of 2022, will try to win, on the occasion of her 11th final on the circuit, her seventh title, the second this year after the WTA 1000 in Dubai in February where she had beaten in the final the Polish Iga Swiatek, N.1 in the world at the time.
Krecikova and Kenin only met once. It was in the sixteenth final at the Rome tournament in the spring of 2021. The Czech, who won the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros a few weeks later, beat the American 6-1, 6-4.
Czech Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals of the WTA San Diego tournament on September 15, 2023 in San Diego, California © Joe Scarnici / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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