Sofia Kenin delivered a gutsy and composed efficiency at Roland Garros on Thursday, defeating fellow Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka 7-6(5), 6-4 to advance to the third spherical.
The primary set was a take a look at of nerves and resilience. Kenin trailed 2-5 however refused to fold. She steadied her sport, dug in on return factors, and clawed her method again to power a tiebreak. There, she maintained her poise and outlasted Azarenka 7-5.
The second set noticed extra back-and-forth momentum, however the American continued to use strain together with her aggressive baseline play and improved serving. At 5-4, she capitalized on a slender opening and broke Azarenka to seal the match in straight units.
One of many extra spectacular points about Kenin proper now’s her resurgence. As soon as ranked as excessive as No. 4 on this planet, she fell outdoors the highest 200 after a tough stretch crammed with accidents and inconsistency. Now ranked No. 30, she’s displaying the type of grit and tactical sharpness that received her the 2020 Australian Open.
Her subsequent problem comes within the type of Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, who superior with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over Katie Boulter. With each gamers in sturdy kind, the upcoming all-American conflict guarantees high-quality tennis and no scarcity of shot-making.
Whatever the end result, the win was a reminder of why Kenin stays one of the vital harmful rivals on tour when she’s locked in — and he or she was very a lot locked in on this match.
