Roland Garros: Shelby Rogers vs Kamilla Rakhimova preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020

Shelby Rogers during her quarter-final match against Naomi Osaka at the US Open

Match details

Fixture: Shelby Rogers vs Kamilla Rakhimova

Date: 27th September 2020

Tournament: Roland Garros 2020

Round - First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: Approx €38,000,000

Timing: 11 am CEST, 2.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Shelby Rogers vs Kamilla Rakhimova preview

American Shelby Rogers has been playing some great tennis in 2020. The 27-year-old, who peaked at No. 48 in the rankings in 2017, ended last year as the World No. 174. But she comes into the French Open as the World No. 55, after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2020 US Open for the first time last month.

Rogers can surely compete with the big players on the biggest stages, having beaten Simona Halep at the 2017 Australian Open. In recent weeks she defeated Serena Williams at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at the US Open.

Shelby Rogers at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky in August

Her opponent Kamilla Rakhimova is a 19-year-old big-hitter from Russia. Rakhimova has come through the qualifying draw where she scored three good wins, including one over the No. 1 seed in the qualifying draw Ann Li.

After soaring through the qualifying rounds and reaching the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, Kamilla Rakhimova will face Shelby Rogers in an attempt to earn her first main draw win!

[📸: Philippe Montigny/FFT] pic.twitter.com/w7i7FJ8Frj
— WTA Russians (@WTArussians) September 25, 2020

The Russian is currently ranked No. 182 in singles and has been mostly competing on the ITF circuit; she will be making her Grand Slam debut on Sunday. As a junior, Rakhimova peaked at No. 20 in the ITF rankings.

Shelby Rogers vs Kamilla Rakhimova head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between the two players and hence their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Shelby Rogers vs Kamilla Rakhimova prediction

Shelby Rogers has been playing some of her best tennis in recent weeks, and is certainly the favorite to win this match. The American comes into this tournament in great form, having just reached the quarterfinals of the US Open.

Kamilla Rakhimova, on the other hand, is an unknown entity for most tennis fans. It will be interesting to see how she fares in her first appearance at a Grand Slam, and that too against an in-form player.

Prediction: Shelby Rogers to win in straight sets.