In Pictures: Sofia Kenin locks horns with Jessica Pegula during a friendly match at the Old Doha Port ahead of Qatar Open

Sofia Kenin and Jessica Pegula kicked off their preparations for the upcoming Qatar Open by battling out against each other in a friendly match at the Old Doha Port.

A WTA 500 event, the Qatar Open will commence on Monday, February 13 in the capital city of the Middle Eastern country.

Ahead of the main draw of the tournament, several stars, including the American duo of Sofia Kenin and Jessica Pegula, played a practice match to test their preparations. The match was an opportunity for players to showcase their skills and get some much-needed match practice ahead of the tournament.

The 2020 Australian Open winner Kenin will face Liudmila Samsonova in the round 32 of the singles category. The Moscow-born will also ply her trade in the doubles where she will partner up with Karolina Muchova against Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kiechenok in the round of 16.

Jessica Pegula, on the other hand, will partner up with former doubles No. 1 Coco Gauff as the No. 1 seed takes on Xu Yifan and Tereza Mihalikova in the round of 16. The former World No. 3 will kickstart her singles campaign on February 15.

A few snippets from the duo's practice match were shared on social media by the tennis federation of Qatar.

"Yesterday, our two lovely players @SofiaKenin & @JLPegula had a chance to visit the Old Doha Port and play a friendly match with a mesmerizing view!"

Yesterday our two lovely 🇺🇸 players @SofiaKenin & @JLPegula had a chance to visit the Old Doha Port 🚢 and play a friendly match with a mesmerizing view! 🌅 #wta #qteo2023 https://t.co/xaFqC9jaeH

An important historical site in Qatar, the Old Doha Port is well-known for its attractive architecture and lively atmosphere. Tennis enthusiasts in the neighborhood were thrilled by the friendly match between Kenin and Pegula because it gave them a preview of how fierce these two gifted players are.

How have Sofia Kenin and Jessica Pegula fared in 2023

Former Australian Open winner Kenin kicked off her 2023 season with the ASB Classic that took place in Auckland. However, the American crashed out of the tournament in the first round after losing out to top seed Gauff. At the Hobart International. Kenin improved her form as she reached the last four of the event before losing to Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.

At the 2023 Australian Open, the American lost to veteran Victoria Azarenka in the first round.

Jessica Pegula, on the other hand, started her 2023 season with the Melbourne Major. Seeded third in the tournament, a 28-year-old lost to Azarenka in the quarter-finals. Pegula and Gauff also made it to the semi-finals after losing out to Ena Shibahara and Shulo Aoyama in the doubles.